Srefanchuk Ljudmila

Political System of New Zealand: Tradition and Modernity

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2013, №21, 333-349

 
Annotation: The paper dwells on the making and development of the political institutions of the country and of the reasons for their transformations. The paper emphasizes the transition from majoritarian election principle to the majoritarian-proportional system with the result of the Parliament turning from a two-party to a multi-party one. Basing on proper analyses of the elections to the New-Zealand Parliament the author concludes that it is now impossible for the party that gets the majority of votes to rule unilaterally and that it is necessary for it to make a coalition with other political parties. Under these new conditions, the New Zealand’s political system has become more democratic but less stable.

Keywords: NEW ZEALAND, ELECTION SYSTEM, MAJORITARIAN PRINCIPLE, MAJORITARIAN-PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM, PARLIAMENT, ELECTIONS, POLITICAL PARTY, COALITION, REFERENDUM.