New Zealand, New Politics, and Mixed-Member Proportional Representation: Lessons for Scotland?
Investigator: Dr. Tom Lundberg
Funded by: Carnegie Trust
The project examines how New Zealand (NZ) politicians have adapted to the new politics facilitated by the Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system after about a decade of its use in both NZ and in post-devolution Scotland. Politicians and others involved in the transition to MMP will be interviewed to assess adaptation, in the context of a longstanding Westminster political culture, to the challenges of sharing power, as well as representative roles resulting from a system electing representatives on both a constituency and party list basis. Research will also compare NZ results to those of a Scottish case study.