Dutch Municipal Elections 1998-2018: More Localism and Fragmentation

Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper 2020-022/V

28 Pages Posted: 15 May 2020

See all articles by Raymond Gradus

Raymond Gradus

School of Business and Economics

Elbert Dijkgraaf

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE); Erasmus University Rotterdam, SEOR-ECRi

Tjerk Budding

VU University Amsterdam - Amsterdam Research Center in Accounting

Date Written: April 20, 2020

Abstract

Exploring the outcome of Dutch municipal elections between 1998 and 2018, this paper finds two dominant trends: increasing political fragmentation and localism. When explaining localism, the number of inhabitants, regional diversity and the election year dummies are significant. The last result gives some indication for a welfare hypothesis as a large decentralisation of Dutch social policy took place in 2007 and 2015. Some evidence is found for a merger effect of more or less equal municipalities. There is evidence as well that more fragmentation in the municipal council leads to more aldermen. The number of aldermen is also depending on the number of inhabitants and a merger effect in case of two municipalities.

Keywords: local elections, political fragmentation, localism, empirical research

JEL Classification: H76, D72

Suggested Citation

Gradus, Raymond and Dijkgraaf, Elbert and Budding, Tjerk, Dutch Municipal Elections 1998-2018: More Localism and Fragmentation (April 20, 2020). Tinbergen Institute Discussion Paper 2020-022/V, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3581257 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3581257

Raymond Gradus (Contact Author)

School of Business and Economics ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, 1081HV
Netherlands

Elbert Dijkgraaf

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam, NL 3062 PA
Netherlands

Erasmus University Rotterdam, SEOR-ECRi ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
H 7-34
Rotterdam, 3000 DR
Netherlands
+31 10 4082590 (Phone)
+31 10 4089650 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ecri.nl

Tjerk Budding

VU University Amsterdam - Amsterdam Research Center in Accounting ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands

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