FORTRESS HOLLAND - SUPPORT FOR ETHNOCENTRIC POLICIES AMONG THE 1994-ELECTORATE OF THE NETHERLANDS

The Dutch have a long tradition of hospitality towards ethnic immigran ts. In the nineties, however, quite dramatic changes have taken place among the Dutch. The central question addressed in this contribution i s: to what extent do specific categories within the electorate favour ethnocentric policies? This question is answered by deducing hypothese s that are tested using recent data polled within the framework of the Dutch National Election Studies. Our crucial conclusion is that a rat her widespread support for ethnocentric policies is present in contemp orary Dutch society, especially among manual labourers, self-employed and lowly educated people, but also among young cohorts and among moda l income categories.