Joop van Holsteyn, born in Wateringen, the Netherlands, in 1957. Ph.D. from Leiden University. Associate Professor Extraordinarius in Electoral Research at Leiden University.
Fellow (1 September 2005 – 30 June 2006)
THE MEANING OF ELECTORAL BEHAVIOUR AND ELECTIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The main purpose of my stay at NIAS was contemplate the meaning and function(s) of elections in the 21st century. The time had come for electoral researchers – in the Netherlands as elsewhere – to rethink the traditional concepts and perspectives on elections and voters. Since this was my main purpose, it follows that I spent most of my time reading and thinking. And as a logical consequence I did more reading than writing. In my case, however, the year at NIAS has been an investment in future research. I am convinced that this investment will eventually pay off. My inaugural lecture of June 16, 2006 is one of the first proceeds of this investment. I have also been able to explore two new lines of research, one on the meaning of turnout at elections and on compulsory voting in particular, and one on political cartoons and the effects they may have on public opinion and the alleged rise of political cynicism