scholarly journals A New Democratic Norm(al)? Political Legitimacy Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 189-195
Author(s):  
Tim Reeskens ◽  
Quita Muis
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Period Effect ◽  
Representative Data ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Pharmaceutical Interventions

AbstractThe worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has granted national governments far-reaching political powers to implement drastic non-pharmaceutical interventions to curtail the spread of the virus. For these measures to be effective, governments should be granted widespread political legitimacy. This is established when populations’ expectations from governments are in line with public support for these governments. In this chapter, we investigate changes in political legitimacy during the coronavirus crisis in the Netherlands. Amidst of the pandemic, we collected unique, representative data among LISS-panel respondents that supplemented the European Values Study 2017. We demonstrate that the Dutch public (temporarily) lowered their democratic aspirations thereby longing for strong leadership while simultaneously increasing their trust in the incumbent Government, which, combined, resulted in more political legitimacy. Because of an outspoken period effect, expectations are, however, that this legitimacy will not be long-lived in the new common.

Het zijn aardige mensen, maar liever niet als buren... : Veranderingen in sociale distantie tegenover migranten, moslims en ‘zigeuners’ in Nederland in de periode 1990-2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-481
Author(s):  
Marcel Lubbers ◽  
Peer Scheepers
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Conflict Theory ◽  
Contact Theory ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
Theoretical Assumptions ◽  
Previous Decade ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Research Questions

Abstract In this study, we focus on a considered key value of the Netherlands: tolerance towards outgroups. We set out to answer the research questions: (1) what has been the longitudinal trend in social distance towards migrants, Muslims and ‘Gypsies’?; and (2) have there been (changes in) longitudinal differences between specific social categories?, in relation to the theoretical assumptions from contact and conflict theory. Based on Dutch data from the European Values Study, we show that social distance towards migrants, Muslims and ‘Gypsies’ increased in the first decade of the century as compared to the previous decade. In the second decade, social distance towards migrants and Muslims has not changed much; however, social distance towards ‘Gypsies’ has strongly increased further, even though the size of the group hardly changed. We discuss differential longitudinal trends within specific societal groups. The youngest cohort, socialized most strongly with immigrants and Muslims, turns out to be most likely to keep distance towards these groups in recent times ‐ a finding more in line with conflict theory than with contact theory. We end with explanations for the observation that particularly the ‘Gypsies’ have become the most excluded outgroup, not just in the Netherlands, but in the whole of Europe.

scholarly journals Environmental Attitudes in An Intergenerational Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-215
Author(s):  
Marcela Petrová Kafková
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Cohort Effect ◽  
Environmental Values ◽  
Period Effect ◽  
Country Comparison ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Weak Influence ◽  
Effect Of Age

Abstract Environmentally oriented attitudes and values can be one of the sources of intergenerational tension or consent. Considering that climate change has become one of the major societal themes today, the issue of intergenerational tension or consent in approach to the environment is crucial. This issue could bring about a generational gap. Questions about intergenerational tensions bring us to age influence on environmental values. The influence of age on environmental values has been researched using the European Values Study (EVS) 1991 – 2017 in six countries. The cohort/age period effect is differentiated using cross-country comparison, comparison of age groups and cohorts. The results showed that the differences in environmental values are not affected by the cohort effect; age has only a weak influence. The period effect, the change in societies seems to be the major explaining factor. Great differences among European countries were found and this diversity is much higher than the effect of age.

scholarly journals The perceived deservingness of COVID-19 healthcare in the Netherlands: a conjoint experiment on priority access to intensive care and vaccination

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Reeskens ◽  
Femke Roosma ◽  
Evelien Wanders
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Political Legitimacy ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Ethical Guidelines ◽  
Medical Need ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Receive Treatment ◽  
Icu Treatment

Abstract Background Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, governments, health experts, and ethicists have proposed guidelines about ICU triage and priority access to a vaccine. To increase political legitimacy and accountability, public support is important. This study examines what criteria beyond medical need are deemed important to be perceived of priority COVID-19 healthcare access. Method Two conjoint experiments about priority over ICU treatment and early COVID-19 vaccination were implemented in a probability-based sample of 1461 respondents representative of the Netherlands. Respondents were asked who should receive treatment out of two fictitious healthcare claimants that differed in in age, weight, complying with corona policy measures, and occupation, all randomly assigned. Average marginal coefficient effects are estimated to assess the relative importance of the attributes; attributes were interacted with relevant respondent characteristics to find whether consensus exists in this relative ranking. Results The Dutch penalize those not complying with coronavirus policy measures, and the obese, but prioritize those employed in ‘crucial’ sectors. For these conditions, there is consensus among the population. For age, young people are prioritized for ICU treatment, while the middle-aged are given priority over a vaccine, with younger respondents favoring healthcare for elderly claimants, while older respondents favor support for young cohorts. Conclusion People who have no control over their social risk and are able to reciprocate to society are considered as more deserving of priority of COVID-19 healthcare. Our findings provide fair support for the implemented ethical guidelines about ICU-treatment and COVID-19 vaccines.

Seksueel-ethische permissiviteit: trends in Nederland 1981-2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-458
Author(s):  
Quita Muis ◽  
Inge Sieben ◽  
Tim Reeskens ◽  
Loek Halman
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
Religious Socialization ◽  
Dutch Society ◽  
Ethical Aspects ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
The Future ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Moral Convictions

Abstract In this study, we explore trends in sexual-ethical permissiveness in the Netherlands during the last decades. Using Dutch data from the European Values Study (1981-2017), we show that tolerance towards homosexuality, abortion, divorce, euthanasia, and suicide increased in this period. About a third of this trend can be explained by cohort replacement: because younger, more permissive cohorts slowly replace older, less permissive cohorts, the moral climate in society changes. In turn, the differences in sexual-ethical permissiveness between cohorts can be explained by differences in level of education, church attendance and religious socialization. At the same time, the results of the counterfactual analyses show that all groups in Dutch society, including the lower educated and churchgoers, have become more permissive about sexual-ethical aspects of life. Apparently, a moral progressive consensus is present in the Netherlands. Finally, our results show that the youngest cohort, born between 1990 and 1999, appears somewhat less permissive than older cohorts. If these more conservative moral convictions persist in the future and are present in new generations as well, there may be a cultural backlash.

Asylum-seekers falsely implicating themselves in international crimes: Should they be informed of the existence of Article 1F of the Refugee Convention?

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Brian Moore ◽  
Joris van Wijk
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Refugee Convention ◽  
International Crimes ◽  
Refugee Claim ◽  
The Uk ◽  
National Governments

Case studies in the Netherlands and the UK of asylum applicants excluded or under consideration of exclusion pursuant to Article 1Fa of the Refugee Convention reveal that some applicants falsely implicated themselves in serious crimes or behaviours in order to enhance their refugee claim. This may have serious consequences for the excluded persons themselves, as well as for national governments dealing with them. For this reason we suggest immigration authorities could consider forewarning asylum applicants i.e. before their interview, about the existence, purpose and possible consequences of exclusion on the basis of Article 1F.

A Mistrustful Society?

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-71
Author(s):  
Nicole Horáková
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Eastern European ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study ◽  
Eastern European Countries

The level of trust in politicians also in government institutions is taken as an indicator of the state of society in general. Various studies have shown that the population of the Central Eastern European countries, and especially the citizens of the Czech Republic, lack trust in state institutions and democratic structures. The trust of the Czech population in government institutions is, compared to other (Western) European countries, at a relatively low level. This article aims to discuss different factors that are currently influencing this lack of trust: the historical, cultural, and institutional. The empirical data for this article is based on the European Values Study and Czech surveys of public opinion concerning trust in government institutions.

scholarly journals Measuring the trust in the European values study and the European social survey

Sociologija ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 419-439
Author(s):  
Milos Besic
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Trust ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
European Values ◽  
European Values Study

In this paper, we compare the latent construct measurement of political and interpersonal trust in two researches: the European Values Study and the European Social Survey. The main goal was to estimate the validity of measuring the respective concepts. In order to achieve this goal, we conducted a number of Principal Component Analyses and Confirmatory Factor Analyses. Additionally, we used multilevel regression modelling to test and compare the effect of socio-demographic variables on political and interpersonal trust in both researches. We identified that socio-demographic predictors had a similar effect on both types of trust. The paper is complemented with descriptive data that portray the differences among countries when it comes to interpersonal and political trust.

scholarly journals Case-control study of patient characteristics, knowledge of the COVID-19 disease, risk behaviour and mental state in patients visiting an emergency room with COVID-19 symptoms in the Netherlands

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249847
Author(s):  
J. P. M. van der Valk ◽  
F. W. J. Heijboer ◽  
H. van Middendorp ◽  
A. W. M. Evers ◽  
J. C. C. M. in ‘t Veen
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Control Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Hygiene Measures ◽  
Pharmaceutical Interventions

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 is a serious respiratory virus pandemic. Patient characteristics, knowledge of the COVID-19 disease, risk behaviour and mental state will differ between individuals. The primary aim of this study was to investigate these variables in patients visiting an emergency department in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare the “COVID-19 suspected” (positive and negative tested group) with the “COVID-19 not suspected” (control group) and to compare in the “COVID-19 suspected” group, the positive and negative tested patients. Methods Consecutive adult patients, visiting the emergency room at the Franciscus Gasthuis & Vlietland, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were asked to fill out questionnaires on the abovementioned items on an iPad. The patients were either “COVID-19 suspected” (positive and negative tested group) or “COVID-19 not suspected” (control group). Results This study included a total of 159 patients, 33 (21%) tested positive, 85 (53%) negative and 41 (26%) were COVID-19 not suspected (control group). All patients in this study were generally aware of transmission risks and virulence and adhered to the non-pharmaceutical interventions. Working as a health care professional was correlated to a higher risk of SARS-Cov-2 infection (p- value 0.04). COVID-19 suspected patients had a significantly higher level of anxiety compared to COVID-19 not suspected patients (p-value < 0.001). The higher the anxiety, the more seriously hygiene measures were followed. The anxiety scores of the patients with (pulmonary) comorbidities were significantly higher than without comorbidities. Conclusion This is one of the first (large) study that investigates and compares patient characteristics, knowledge, behaviour, illness perception, and mental state with respect to COVID-19 of patients visiting the emergency room, subdivided as being suspected of having COVID-19 (positive or negative tested) and a control group not suspected of having COVID-19. All patients in this study were generally aware of transmission risks and virulence and adhered to the non-pharmaceutical interventions. COVID-19 suspected patients and patients with (pulmonary) comorbidities were significantly more anxious. However, there is no mass hysteria regarding COVID-19. The higher the degree of fear, the more carefully hygiene measures were observed. Knowledge about the coping of the population during the COVID-19 pandemic is very important, certainly also in the perspective of a possible second outbreak of COVID-19.

International comparisons of COVID-19 case and mortality data and the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions: a plea for reconsideration

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Stephen Thomson ◽  
Eric C. Ip ◽  
Shing Fung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Public Support ◽  
International Comparisons ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Media Reporting ◽  
Pharmaceutical Interventions

Abstract International comparisons of the effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) based on national case and mortality data are fraught with underestimated complexity. This article calls for stronger attention to just how extensive is the multifactorial nature of national case and mortality data, and argues that, unless a globally consistent benchmark of measurement can be devised, such comparisons are facile, if not misleading. This can lead to policy decisions and public support for the adoption of potentially harmful NPIs that are ineffective in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and damaging to mental health, social cohesion, human rights and economic development. The unscientific use of international comparisons of case and mortality data in public discourse, media reporting and policymaking on NPI effectiveness should be subject to greater scrutiny.

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