Enige politieke en sociale kenmerken van de oprichters van D’66

Abstract

The results are presented of interviews held with 47 persons, who in the fall of 1966 founded ’Democrats ’66’, a new political party in the Netherlands, which said to aim for a ’radical democraticization’ of political life. Oral interviews were held with the 13 persons in Amsterdam who had established the first contacts. Thirty-four other persons were mailed questionaires; thirty-two of the latter were received back. The respondents listed the following objections to the existing political system: paralysis of party-politics, dissatisfaction with the workings of the political system, lack of alternatives for the voters. Twenty respondents had in the past always voted for the same party, twenty four persons had changed their party-choice. The Liberal party (VVD), the Labour party (PvdA) and the Pacifist-Socialist party (PSP) were most often mentioned as former party-choice. Most of the respondents came from the western part of the country; among those there were 19 from Amsterdam. Of the 2500 signs of support that had been received by October 1966 24.5% came from Amsterdam, 11% from The Hague and 5% from Rotterdam. 'The average age of the respondents was 38; the average age of 44% of their earliest supporters was lower than 30. Seventy-four % of the respondents professed no religion. Sixty-six % had attended a university; most of these had studied law, economic or social sciences. The average income was ƒ 32.000,—. Their occupations were mainly of the white collar type; journalists predominated (more than 20%). Finally, the educational background, occupation, income and party-membership of the founders is compared with those of their fathers.