New Zealand is one of the world’s oldest democracies for men and women, Mâori and Pâkehâ, with one of the highest political participation rates. But – from Mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation to leadership primaries, spin doctors to ‘dirty politics’ – the country’s political system is undergoing rapid change. Democracy in New Zealand provides an up-to-date and concise introduction to New Zealand politics and how it works.
Examining the constitution and the political system, cabinet and parliament, political parties, leadership and elections, Raymond Miller draws on data and analysis (including from the 2014 election) to tackle critical questions: Who runs New Zealand? Does political apathy threaten democracy? Will new parties have an ongoing impact? Do we now have a presidential democracy?
Raymond Miller is Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland. He frequently analyses politics in the media and is a past recipient of the Wallace Award for his contribution to the public understanding of electoral matters. Miller is the author or editor of, among other books, New Zealand Government and Politics (Oxford University Press, multiple editions), Party Politics in New Zealand (OUP, 2005), Political Leadership in New Zealand (Auckland University Press, 2006), and, with Ian Marsh, Democratic Decline and Democratic Renewal: Political Change in Britain, Australia and New Zealand (Cambridge, 2012)