In 2020, more than one hundred documents were classified in Italy throughout the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic. The scope of the following thesis is to contribute to the live debate...Show moreIn 2020, more than one hundred documents were classified in Italy throughout the first six months of the coronavirus pandemic. The scope of the following thesis is to contribute to the live debate in intelligence studies, on transparency and secrecy, by proposing a case study on the Italian experience during the first six months of 2020. It will delve specifically into the accountability channel present between the committee for the security of the republic and the prime minister Conte as head of the intelligence services. Results shows the partial capacity of the committee to ensure transparency and legitimacy over the prime minister who, by utilizing national security as a constant justification, severely manipulated the use of state secrecy for his own purposes. Thus, suggestions propose the need to implement a stronger oversight mechanism to ensure a reasonable use of secrecy in times of crisis.Show less
In dit paper wordt onderzoek gedaan naar het effect van langer doorwerken op de mentale gezondheid bij ouderen. De pensioenleeftijd is sinds 2013 omhoog gegaan, om kosten te besparen op de...Show moreIn dit paper wordt onderzoek gedaan naar het effect van langer doorwerken op de mentale gezondheid bij ouderen. De pensioenleeftijd is sinds 2013 omhoog gegaan, om kosten te besparen op de rijksbegroting. De stijging van de deze pensioenleeftijd heeft mogelijk effect op de mentale gezondheid van ouderen, doordat dit een drastische verandering is voor deze groep aangezien men langer moet blijven werken. Het is hierbij interessant om het effect van de verhoging van de pensioenleeftijd op de mentale gezondheid te onderzoeken. Aan de hand van 3 regressies wordt gezocht naar empirisch bewijs dat statistisch significant is. Er zijn geen statistisch significante resultaten uit de regressies gekomen. Er kan hierdoor geen effect van langer doorwerken op de mentale gezondheid van ouderen worden aangetoond. Vervolg onderzoek moet beter uitkomst bieden om de consistentie in literatuur wat betreft werk en mentale gezondheid te verbeteren.Show less
Wat kan de overheid bieden om samen met quadruple helix actoren verder te bouwen aan vertrouwen van burgers in de (mogelijke) komst en adaptatie van Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)?
Een onderzoek naar maatschappelijk verantwoorde lobby onder Nederlandse lobbyisten. Een meervoudige casestudy naar wat Nederlandse lobbyisten benoemen als maatschappelijk verantwoorde lobby.
This paper explores the nature of the EU Common Security and Defense Policy and its influence on the path to European strategic autonomy, which has increasingly become salient in EU politics in the...Show moreThis paper explores the nature of the EU Common Security and Defense Policy and its influence on the path to European strategic autonomy, which has increasingly become salient in EU politics in the past few years. Not only because of military escalation in the East or the instability in the European Neighbourhood with regard to migration, but upheaval in the structures we thought to be invincible as well: America and NATO, and Brexit. Unexpected changes don’t necessarily lead to instability when autonomy is guaranteed. How can this be achieved for the EU? After analysing said influence in four dimensions of European strategic autonomy, the reader is presented with the conclusion that the CSDP has only had a relatively small influence, and many problems with its DNA prevent the Union from taking the steps required to become self-sufficient in an increasingly hostile environment.Show less
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are a salient characteristic observed across democratic systems. Perceived to strengthen citizen representation and improve policy outcomes, as such member...Show moreCivil Society Organizations (CSOs) are a salient characteristic observed across democratic systems. Perceived to strengthen citizen representation and improve policy outcomes, as such member involvement and organisational capacity are key attributes. In order to achieve this role, CSOs must possess the capability to influence decision-making processes. This thesis investigates the realisation of these attributes at the national level of European Union member states through quantitative analysis. The outcomes highlight noteworthy variations across EU member states. In Eastern countries, member involvement emerges as a catalyst for achieving heightened access to decision-making. Conversely, for CSOs in Western and Scandinavian nations, neither member involvement nor organisational capacity significantly corresponds to access within the decision-making realm.Show less
In just over 10 years, the UK, a Western, democratic, industrialised nation has experienced two economic crises that have been unrivalled in the last 100 years of economic history; the 2008...Show moreIn just over 10 years, the UK, a Western, democratic, industrialised nation has experienced two economic crises that have been unrivalled in the last 100 years of economic history; the 2008 Financial Crisis and the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. The 2008 financial crisis is often discussed in terms of the extremity of its impact on the British economy, specifically in its status of inflicting the largest accumulative financial loss since the Post-War period. This is an accolade it has held until the crisis induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Both crises were unexpected and far-reaching in their consequences, resulting in the British Government introducing unparalleled policies to protect the health of its population and economy. This thesis seeks to explore welfare policy responses to economic crises in the United Kingdom. An extensive literature review is presented, covering the present academic discussion around welfare and crisis management. This thesis uses a most-similar research design to compare two crisis situations in the same country, to assess the success of the policies based on the two measurements of generosity and coverage. The focus will be on the design, implementation and outcome of the reactive employment policies in two distinct cases.Show less
Abstract Objectives: The main objective of this thesis is to create and provide empirical data on the socio-demographic background of the top administrative elite in the Netherlands, the Top...Show moreAbstract Objectives: The main objective of this thesis is to create and provide empirical data on the socio-demographic background of the top administrative elite in the Netherlands, the Top Management Group of the Algemene Bestuursdienst. It furthermore seeks to connect elite studies literature to a public administration context. Methods: The thesis is based on a data set primarily constructed using LinkedIn data and data provided by the Algemene Bestuursdienst at times of new appointments. The thesis uses descriptive statistics to analyze some of its findings. Results: The thesis finds that in doing research on elites, discussing context is crucial. On the Top Management Group of the Algemene Bestuursdienst it finds that the people who occupy the top functions within the Algemene Bestuursdienst have a largely varying profile regarding their educational background. Most civil service elites grew their career inside the civil service. Data on whether elites were sticky was inconclusive as variances and standard deviations were too big relative to their respective mean.Show less
This thesis applies collective action theory from a historical institutionalist perspective. With applying collective action theory on an international level, the boundaries of collective action...Show moreThis thesis applies collective action theory from a historical institutionalist perspective. With applying collective action theory on an international level, the boundaries of collective action theory are pushed further than before. Collective action theory from a historical perspective is used to investigate the scope of regime complexity intergovernmental organizations experience and the development of state membership of intergovernmental organizations.Show less
