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are a multitude of electoral district, tax and assessment districts, judicial and police districts, medical districts, national service (military draft) districts, military regions, ecclesiastical divisions, customs districts, factory inspection districts, and civil defense areas.
Greenland is in effect another province of Denmark, but it enjoys greater local autonomy than the provinces of metropolitan Denmark. As set down in the Danish Constitution of 1953, Greenland is an "integral part of the Danish realm." The central administration of the island is in the hands of a governor, appointed by the Monarch and responsible to the Minister for Greenland and the Danish Cabinet. Local affairs are handled by the popularly elected 17-man Greenland National Council. Greenlanders also hold two seats in the Danish Folketing. Aside from the Inuit (People's) Party, a local political movement formed in February 1964, Greenland has no organized party system. The local trade unions provide a base on which a Social Democratic Party could be built.
The Faroe Islands are self-governing within the Kingdom of Denmark. Matters of local concern are the province of a popularly elected regional parliament and cabinet. The Faroe Island has its own flag and currency but is tied to Denmark through common allegiance to the Crown and provisions in the Home Rule Act of 1948 for sharing with the central Danish Government responsibility in the foreign affairs, civil law, social welfare, education, and a few other specified areas. The islands are represented in the Danish Folketing with two seats.
C. Political dynamics (U/OU)
1. The Danish political forum
Within the last century Denmark has achieved a political maturity and sophistication that place it in the front rank of European democracies. The parliamentary system, featuring a responsible government and loyal opposition, is entrenched. No thought is given to changing it. The main purpose of government is universally acknowledged to be the guarantee of freedom and security, and the national policies undertaken to attain these ends have a broad consensus. No fundamental ideological differences or philosophical antagonisms divide the nation.
Danish political life is marked by an uncommon political stability. As in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland the average tenure in office of particular governments since World War II has been 3 years. Prime Ministers and other ministers may continue through several Cabinets, virtually making a career of their days in office. Paradoxically, the Danes have established this record for governmental continuity with the same multi-party parliamentary system which has proved the home of democratic government outside of Scandinavia. To the big-party politician in Denmark it is common sense to practice the art of political compromise in the interest of administrative achievement and subsequent reelection. The closed-
FIGURE 3. Governments of Denmark (U/OU) (chart)
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