Course description 
This is an introduction to the study of New Zealand politics with a focus on the nature of citizenship in a democracy. As well as providing an overview of the major themes and events in post-war New Zealand politics, it discusses political leadership and the major institutions of government (such as parliament, prime minister, and cabinet). Other topics include political parties, the role of the media, elections and voting, and the opportunities for citizen participation in politics.
Required reading
Recommended reading
Links are through to the Voyager record. Titles are cited according to the Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed.
Many of the recommended readings are located in the Short Loan Collection. The Short Loan Collection is located on Level 1 of the Information Commons. For items in the Short Loan Collection click here.
Note: Course readings may only be used for the University's educational purposes. You may print a copy for your own use, but you may not make a further copy for any other purpose. You may not copy or distribute any part of the reading to any other person. Failure to comply with these terms may expose you to legal action for copyright infringement and/or disciplinary action by the University.
Introduction to the New Zealand political system
Constitution
History of New Zealand's political institutions
Nationhood
Parliament
MMP and coalition formation
Prime Minister/leadership
Parties
The Treaty of Waitangi and Maori politics
Representation
Direct democracy and the plebiscite
Political marketing
Media
Elections
Party cohesion discipline and free voting
Civil service
Interest groups
Local government
Introduction to the New Zealand political system
- Chapman, Robert. "No Land is an Island: Twentieth Century Politics." In New Zealand Politics and Social Patterns: Selected Works, edited by Elizabeth McLeay, 84-99. Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1999.
- Miller, Raymond. New Zealand Government and Politics. 5th ed. South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Miller, Raymond. Party Politics in New Zealand. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 2005.
- Mulgan, Richard. Politics in New Zealand. 3rd ed., updated by Peter Aimer. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2003. Also available as an e-book via the Library database Ebsco.
- Palmer, Geoffrey, and Matthew Palmer. Bridled Power: New Zealand’s Constitution and Government. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
- Sinclair, Keith, ed. Distance Looks Our Way: The Effects of Remoteness on New Zealand. Hamilton: Paul’s Book Arcade for the University of Auckland, 1961.
- Wood, G.A. and Chris Rudd. The Politics and Government of New Zealand: Robust, Innovative and Challenged. Dunedin: University of Otago Press, 2004.
Constitution
- Harris, B. "Towards a Written Constitution?" In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 91-104. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- James, Colin, ed. Building the Constitution. Wellington: Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, 2000.
- Palmer, Geoffrey, and Matthew Palmer. Bridled Power: New Zealand’s Constitution and Government. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
History of New Zealand's political institutions
- Atkinson, Neill. Adventures in Democracy: A History of the Vote in New Zealand. Dunedin: University of Otago Press, 2003.
- Bassett, Michael. The State in New Zealand, 1840-1984: Socialism Without Doctrines. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 1998.
- Martin, John E. The House: New Zealand's House of Representatives, 1854-2004. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press, 2004.
- McAloon, J. "New Zealand Since the War. " In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 29-40. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Roper, Brian S. Prosperity for All? Economic, Social and Political Change in New Zealand Since 1935. Southbank Vic.: Thompson Learning, 2005.
Nationhood
- Jesson, Bruce. To Build a Nation: Collected Writings 1975-1999, edited by Andrew Sharp. Auckland: Penguin, 2005.
- King, Michael. Being Pakeha: An Encounter with New Zealand and the Maori Renaissance. Auckland: Hodder and Stoughton, 1985.
- Phillips, J. "The Constitution and Independent Nationhood." In Building the Constitution, edited by Colin C. James. Wellington: Institute of Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, 2000.
- Skilling, Peter. "National Identity in a Diverse Society." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 54-65. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- True, Jacqui, and C. Gao. "National Identity in a Global Political Economy." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 41-53. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Parliament
MMP and coalition formation
- Boston, Jonathon. "Dynamics of Government Formation." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 206-225. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Miller, Raymond, and Pierce Lane. "Fuure of the MMP Electoral System." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 168-184. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Vandervorst, Ricarda. "‘Parliamentarians' Perspectives on Proportional Representation: Electoral System Change in New Zealand." Political Science 55, no.2 (2004)
- Wallace, J. chair. Report of the Royal Commission on the Electoral System: Towards a Better Democracy. chapter 7, Wellington: Government Printer, 1986.
Prime Minister/leadership
- Banducci, Susan. "Gender and Leadership." In Proportional Representation on Trial: The 1999 Election and the Fate of MMP, Jack Vowles, Peter Aimer, J. Karp, S. Banducci, Raymond Miller, and Ann Sullivan, 50-65. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2002.
- Hayward, M. "Leadership and the Prime Minister." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 226-242. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Miller, Raymond, and Michael Mintrom, eds. Political Leadership in New Zealand. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2006. Especially chaps. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
- Wood, G. A., and Chris Rudd. The Politics and Government of New Zealand: Robust, Innovative and Challenged. Dunedin: University of Otago Press, 2004. Chap. 7.
Parties
- New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009. A number of chapters inare devoted to discussing each New Zealand political party in turn.
- Miller, Raymond. Party Politics in New Zealand. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 2005.
- Miller, Raymond, and Michael Mintrom, eds. Political Leadership in New Zealand. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2006.
- Vowles, Jack, Peter Aimer, S. Banducci, J. Karp, and Raymond Miller, eds. Voters’ Veto: The 2002 Election in New Zealand and the Consolidation of Minority Government. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2004.
- Wood, G. A., and Chris Rudd. The Politics and Government of New Zealand: Robust, Innovative and Challenged. Dunedin: University of Otago Press, 2004. Chap. 14.
The Treaty of Waitangi and Maori politics
- Cox, Lindsay. Kotahitanga: The Search for Maori Political Unity. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 1993.
- Durie, Mason. Te Mana, Te Kawanatanga: The Politics of Maori Self-Determination. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 1998.
- Mulgan, Richard. Maori, Pakeha and Democracy. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 1989. Chap. 5.
- Sharp, Andrew. Justice and the Maori: The Philosophy and Practice of Maori Claims in New Zealand Since the 1970s. 2nd ed. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 1997.
- ---."The Waitangi Tribunal 1984-1996." In New Zealand Politics in Transition, edited by Raymond Miller, 386-94. Auckland: Oxford University Press, 1997.
- Smits, Katherine. "Politics of Biculturalism." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 66-76. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Walker, Ranginui. Struggle Without End. Auckland: Penguin, 1990.
Representation
- Barter, Fiona, and Stephen Levine. "The Individual Parliamentary Member and Institutional Change: The Changing Role of the New Zealand Member of Parliament." The Journal of Legislative Studies 5, no.3 (1999): 105-130. Special issue. Available online via Informaworld. Click
 to access the full text.
- Gillon, Grant, and Raymond Miller. "Role of an MP." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 156-167. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Direct Democracy and the plebiscite
- Catt Helena. "The Other Democratic Experiment." Political Science 48, no. 1 (1996): 29-47.
- Palmer, Geoffrey, and Matthew Palmer. Bridled Power: New Zealand’s Constitution and Government. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Chap. 11.
- Parkinson, J. "Decision-Making by Referendum." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 571-584. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Wallace, J. chair. Report of the Royal Commission on the Electoral System: Towards a Better Democracy. chapter 7, Wellington: Government Printer, 1986.
Political marketing
- Lees-Marshment, Jennifer. Political Marketing: Principles and Applications. New York: Routledge: 2009.
- Newman, Bruce I., ed. A Handbook of Political Marketing. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage: 1999.
- Wymer, W., and Jennifer Lees-Marshment, eds. Current Issues in Political Marketing. Binghamton, NY, Best Business Books, 2005.
Media
- Hayward, J. and Chris Rudd, "Parties, Voters and the Media." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller,302-311. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Kemp, Geoff. "Democracy, the Public and the Media." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 385-398. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- McNair, Brian. "Politics, Democracy and the Media." Chapter 2 in An Introduction to Political Communication. 4th ed. London: Routledge, 2007.
- Rudd, Chris, Janine Hayward and Geoffrey Craig. Informing Voters? Politics, Media and the New Zealand Election 2008. North Shore: Pearson, 2009.
Elections
- Karp. Jeffrey. "How Voters Decide." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 287-301. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Levine, Stephen, and Nigel S. Roberts, eds. The Baubles of Office: The New Zealand General Election of 2005. Wellington: Victoria University Press, Wellington, 2007.
- Levine, Stephen, and Nigel Roberts. "The General Election of 2008." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 339-354. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Vowles, Jack, Peter Aimer, S. Banducci, J. Karp, and Raymond Miller, eds. Voters’ Veto: The 2002 Election in New Zealand and the Consolidation of Minority Government. Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2004.
Party cohesion discipline and free voting
- Lindsey, David. "Conscience Voting: Who Decides?" In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 255-268. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
- Lindsey, D., Conscience Voting in New Zealand, Unpublished Dissertation, Department of Political Studies, University of Auckland, 2005.
- McGee, David. Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand. 3rd ed. Wellington: Dunmore Publishing, 2005.
Interest groups
- Mintrom, Michael. "Policy Entrepreneurs, Think Tanks and Trusts." In New Zealand Government & Politics, edited by Raymond Miller. 4th ed. South Melbourne, Vic.: Oxford University Press, 2006.
- Tenbensel, Tim. "Interest Groups." In New Zealand Government and Politics, edited by Raymond Miller, 596-605. 5th ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Civil service
Local government
Additional reading
To extend your reading list search Voyager, the Library catalogue using the subject searches below.
Constitutional history New Zealand
Local government--New Zealand
National characterisitics New Zealand
New Zealand Parliament House of Representatives
New Zealand Politics and Government 1984-
New Zealand Politics and Government 1996-
Political parties New Zealand
Political leadership New Zealand
Proportional representation New Zealand
Politicians New Zealand Biography
Representative government and representation New Zealand
Journals
Reference books
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Reference books are a good place to start researching a topic because the information is brief and written by experts.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias help you define your topic
and identify keywords to use when you are searching
databases.
Articles in encyclopedias provide an overview of a topic.
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- Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia. 5th ed., updated and expanded. Auckland: Bateman, 2000.
- Ell, Gordon. A to Z of Kiwi Fact and Folklore. Auckland: New Holland, 2003.
- Levine, Stephen, and Paul Harris, eds. New Zealand Politics Source Book. 3rd ed. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press, 1999.
- Kirk, Allan R. The Dictionary of the New Zealand Parliament. Wellington: Capital Letters, 1995.
- New Zealand Government Sector Directory. Wellington: Tennant Print Media.
Includes structures and membership of Cabinet, Caucus, and Select Committees..
- New Zealand Government Directory.
Contents: Who's who in politics; Who's who in government departments and official organisations; Our system of government.
- New Zealand Official Year Book. Wellington, Govt. Printer.
Databases
Search the following databases to find journal or newspaper articles on a topic. You need to be logged on with your NetID and Net Password.
- ANZ Reference Centre
Contains the complete text for several New Zealand journals and newspapers, such as North and South, Metro, New Zealand Herald.
- Index New Zealand
Indexes New Zealand journals and newspapers.
- NewztextPlus
Contains the complete text for some New Zealand journal and newspaper articles.
To read the debates in the House of Representatives, either search the database Hansard, browse the print Parliamentary Debates in the New Zealand and Pacific collection, or go to the New Zealand Parliament website.
- Hansard
Hansard gives access to debates in the New Zealand House of Representatives. You may search and view the transcripts of the debates.
Internet sites
Government
Local government
Elections
Political parties
Government
Local government
Elections
Political parties
Writing skills
- Barrass, Robert. Students Must Write: A Guide to Better Writing in Coursework and Examinations. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 2005.
- Oshima, Alice, and Ann Hogue. Writing Academic English. 4th ed. White Plains, N.Y.: Pearson Longman, 2006.
- Schmidt, Diane E. Writing in Political Science: A Practical Guide. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2005.
- Scott, Gregory M., and Stephen M. Garrison. The Political Science Student Writer’s Manual. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006.
In your essays the footnotes and bibliography should be set out according to either the Chicago style or the Harvard style.
The Library has brief guides to Harvard and Chicago referencing styles.
The Student Learning Centre's QuickCite has examples of footnotes and bibliography in Chicago.
The Chicago Manual of Style contains many examples for footnotes and bibliography. It is also available online.
Library Information
Material about New Zealand is located in the General Library, in the New Zealand and Pacific Collection, Ground Level. Floor plan for Ground Level.
New Zealand election manifestos are in the Special Collections collection, Ground Level, General Library.
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