In this interdisciplinary article, the authors analyse the historical development of the Dutch state, the specificities of its governance, and its key features in the context of the 21st century. The theoretical analysis identifies the most important political, social, economic and cultural features, and their historical evolution. The situation of the current political-public governance is assessed. The paper analyses various scientific sources, statistical information and different historical phases in governance, which help to reveal not only the key strengths of the Dutch state, but also the challenges inherent to the Netherlands. The article expresses the opinion that an analysis of the good practice of the case of the Netherlands could be significant for the improvement of democratic and public governance processes in Lithuania.