The Politics of Electoral Reform in New Zealand

Abstract

In a referendum held at the same time as the 1993 general election, a majority of New Zealanders voted to establish a new propor tional electoral system to replace their traditional simple plurality system, to take effect after April 1995. New Zealanders were responding to the destabilizing effects of party system dealignment, increasing dispropor tionality of election outcomes, and a succession of governments which many believed had ignored public opinion in their efforts to reform the economy. Competition between the two increasingly discredited major parties set a referendum process in motion, which few politicians thought would end in a vote for change. In part due to a political culture support ing populist democratic values, a majority of New Zealanders voted for proportional representation despite a well-funded all-out propaganda campaign against it. With four parties already represented in parliament at the end of 1993, New Zealand will move to multiparty competition. If successful, the experiment could set an example for similar reform in other plurality democracies.