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Politics
Author(s) -
Levine Stephen,
Roberts Nigel S.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
asia pacific viewpoint
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.571
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1467-8373
pISSN - 1360-7456
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8373.00139
Subject(s) - parallels , politics , voting , theme (computing) , electoral system , representation (politics) , power (physics) , proportional representation , political economy , political science , electoral politics , political system , sociology , public administration , law , democracy , economics , operations management , physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , operating system
New Zealand politics during the 1990s was dominated by debate over a new electoral system, MMP (mixed member proportional), recommended in 1986 and endorsed by voters in 1992 and 1993. The four elections held during the 1990s were influenced, and at times overshadowed, by moves to adopt a new voting system based on proportional representation principles. The loss of confidence in New Zealand's two major parties, National and Labour, was accompanied by a rise in support for smaller parties. A related theme of 1990s politics revolves around the political career of Winston Peters, whose odyssey parallels the rise and fall in public esteem of the new electoral system itself. By the end of the 1990s, it was far from clear that the new system – and the political leadership which has come to power under its auspices – would be able to achieve for New Zealanders the goals of consensus and a sense of common enterprise valued by so many.