Netherlands vs. United States

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When thinking of the Netherlands, or Holland as most people recognize it, what comes to mind is typically a picture of a blond haired girl wearing wooden shoes and holding a basket of bread standing in a field of tulips with a windmill turning in the background, or the idea of standing in a busy city in the red-light district surrounded by bicyclists, drunk teenagers and people selling drugs legally. While both cliches hold their own truth about the country, much more lies beneath the tulips and drugs. Because the Netherland's government focuses on the overall well being of its people, the Netherlands is a better country to live in than the United States.

The United States and the Netherlands are run by two different types of governments. While the United States is a republic, the Netherlands is a constitutional monarchy. But there is a big difference between a republic and a constitutional monarchy. In a republic, the people of the country elect a chief of state, which is commonly called the president. The people of the republic also elect representatives to help govern the nation (Merriam 627). On the other hand, in a constitutional monarchy with a parliament, as the Netherlands does, the monarch, whether it be a king or queen, is the head of state, but not the head of government. The head of government is placed in the hands of the prime minister. As in many cases, a constitutional monarchy may also have houses or chambers to help with legislation (“Background”). According to Richard Tames in Monarchy, a constitutional monarchy is a:

Monarchy in which the power of a monarch is limited by a constitution (61).

The question then remains, which style of government is more effective in fostering a citizenship who is...

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