Netherlands: Difference between revisions
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== Government and politics ==
The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy since 1815, and due to the efforts of Johan Rudolph Thorbecke became a parliamentary democracy in 1848. The Netherlands is described as a consociational state. Dutch politics and governance are characterized by an effort to achieve broad consensus on important issues, within both the political community and society as a whole.
The monarch is the head of state, Constitutionally, the position is equipped with limited powers. By law, the monarch has the right to be periodically briefed and consulted on government affairs. Depending on the personalities and relationships of the monarch and the ministers, the monarch might have influence beyond the power granted by the Constitution of the Netherlands. The majority of said influence comes from the overall popular status the monarchy holds within Dutch society.
The executive power is formed by the Council of Ministers, the deliberative organ of the Dutch cabinet. The cabinet usually consists of 13 to 16 ministers and a varying number of state secretaries. One to three ministers are ministers without a portfolio. The head of government is the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who often is the leader of the largest party of the coalition. The Prime Minister is a primus inter pares, with no explicit powers beyond those of the other ministers. The Prime Minister had been the leader of the largest party of the governing coalition continuously since 1973. Due to a constitutional amendment, the prime minister is the person with executive authority over the use of military force for a period of 190 days. In relation to the kingdom of the Netherlands and her other two countries, each of the two other constituent countries sends its ministers to the Netherlands her council of ministers which in turn together forms the executive body of the Netherlands.
The cabinet is responsible to the bicameral parliament, which also has legislative powers. The 150 members of the House of Representatives, the lower house, are elected in direct elections on the basis of party-list proportional representation. These are held every four years, or sooner in case the cabinet falls (for example: when one of the chambers carries a motion of no confidence, the cabinet offers its resignation to the monarch). The States-Provincial are directly elected every four years as well. The members of the provincial assemblies elect the 75 members of the Senate, the upper house, which has the power to reject laws, but not proposes or amend them. Both houses send members to the OVL Parliament, a consultative council.
=== Political culture ===
=== Political parties ===
=== Administrative divisions ===
=== Foreign relations ===
=== Military ===
== Economy ==
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