ABSTRACT
Some argue that the Dutch state was created before the nation (Scheffer, 1996). However, much of what is written about the historical development of the state and nation (and of the economy and social structure in general) has been inspired by Dutch Governmmt and Politics (Andeweg and Irwin, 1995). It is an excellent introduction to the Dutch political system. Though such reasoning could imply that the nation is a construct, to many Dutch, the feeling of belonging to this nation seems so natural that it is not a topic for hot debate. Since its creation. the territory of this state has been occupied only twice for short periods of time. From one perspective, compared to other European countries, the history of the Dutch state seems tranquil (Scheffer, 1996). From a different perspective, one can also fmd situations in which the state's stability was threatened (Kossman, 1996).
