ABSTRACT
This chapter describes some theoretical issues and institutional considerations. It also describes the gradualist model. It is essential for a given functional interest to be institutionally represented, not so much in the party political, but in the administrative-political process. The chapter examines the institutional characteristics structurally underlying the historical Dutch system of consensus unitarism – a tradition of which the authors consider the 'polder model' a hip contemporary illustration. It points to the need to include often-neglected 'administrative' features in the analysis to complement the attention for socio-economic and political features. The chapter focuses on the sustainability of the polder model. It deals with some of the weak sides exemplified by the system, while it is still enjoying its embarrassment of success as 'a model'. For a long time, the sequences of 'failing reforms' stood as evidence for the inability of the Dutch system to reform and innovate.
