Party Politics in New Zealand

It is widely accepted that representative government is party government, and that political parties are the vital link between citizen and the state. In light of the recent history of political reform in New Zealand, it is imperative that the role and influence of parties and the party system be rigorously reassessed. Party Politics in New Zealand is concerned with the external and internal worlds of party politics in New Zealand. It is organised around two central themes. The first explores the reconfiguration of the two-party system into a multiparty one in which up to seven or eight parties regularly win parlimentary seats and coalitions are the standard form of government. The second delves inside the parties to consider the issue of political participation.
In Party Politics in New Zealand, Raymond Miller thematically investigates a number of issues that long have long concerned scholars, dividing chapters by topic, rather than by party, making the book appealing to students.

Readership: Undergraduate and post graduate students of New Zealand Politics.

Raymond Miller, Dr. Department of Political Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Part 1: Introduction
1: Thinking About Participation and the Party System
Part 2: The Party System
2: Development of the Party System
3: Paty System Under Proportional Representation
Part 3: How Parties Organize
4: Models of Party Organization
5: Members, Activists and Funding
6: Selecting Candidates
7: Choosing and Assessing Leaders
Part 4: How Parties Compete
8: Ideology and Policy
9: Who are the Representatives?
10: The Modern Campaign
11: Parties in Power
Part 5: Conclusion
12: Future of Participation and the Party System