KNM: De Overheid
The Netherlands has three levels of government: national (Rijksoverheid), provincial (provincie), and municipal (gemeente). The national parliament consis...
The Netherlands has three levels of government: national (Rijksoverheid), provincial (provincie), and municipal (gemeente). The national parliament consists of two chambers: the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives, 150 members) and the Eerste Kamer (Senate, 75 members). The prime minister leads the government.
| English | Dutch | Function |
|---|---|---|
| National government | Rijksoverheid | Laws, defense, foreign policy |
| House of Representatives | Tweede Kamer | Makes and votes on laws |
| Senate | Eerste Kamer | Approves or rejects laws |
| Prime Minister | Minister-president | Head of government |
| Province | Provincie | Regional planning, environment |
| Municipality | Gemeente | Local services, permits |
| Role | Dutch | What to Remember |
|---|---|---|
| King | Koning | Head of state; signs laws together with ministers |
| Cabinet | Kabinet | Ministers and state secretaries who govern |
| Minister | Minister | Responsible for one policy area, such as health or education |
| State secretary | Staatssecretaris | Helps a minister with part of the work |
| Mayor | Burgemeester | Chairs the local executive and works on public order |
| Alderman | Wethouder | Municipal executive member for local policy |
| Exam Fact | Dutch | What to Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Koninkrijk der Nederlanden | The Kingdom has 4 countries: Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten |
| Caribbean Netherlands | Caribisch Nederland | Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba are special municipalities of the Netherlands |
| Rule of law | Rechtsstaat | The government must follow the law and citizens have rights |
| Budget day | Prinsjesdag | The King reads the government's plans in the Troonrede on the third Tuesday of September |
| Parliament | Staten-Generaal | The Eerste Kamer and Tweede Kamer together |
| New law | Wetsvoorstel | A bill is voted on by the Tweede Kamer and Eerste Kamer before the King signs it |
Voorbeelden
- Hoeveel leden heeft de Tweede Kamer?
- How many members does the House of Representatives have?
- De Tweede Kamer heeft 150 leden.
- The House of Representatives has 150 members.
- De gemeente geeft paspoorten uit.
- The municipality issues passports.
- Het Catshuis is de ambtswoning van de minister-president.
- The Catshuis is the prime minister's official residence.
Studienotitie
The Netherlands almost always has a coalition government because one party usually does not win a majority. Multiple parties must work together, which is called 'polderen' - the Dutch art of compromise and consensus.
Oefen na het lezen
Train kennis van de Nederlandse maatschappij met getimede KNM-oefenvragen.
Combineer KNM met de andere onderdelen van het inburgeringsexamen.
