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New Zealand's ideologically conservative National, union-rooted Labour, & smaller, protest-oriented Social Credit parties lost some of their former dominance between the 1960s & 1990s, as the voters increasingly demanded wider representation in parliament & more accountable government. The 1996 & 1999 elections were governed by a new mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral system, & the 1999 vote awarded seats to representatives from seven parties. Reasons for this party system de-alignment included a decline in the public's view of the parties' legitimacy & consequently their organizational strength. The older parties also lost media support, as readership of party newspapers declined along with the parties they supported. While the parties have retained their functionality, since the voters realize the impossibility of representative democracy with them, the future for the current parties will depend on their adaptation, along with that of the voters, to the MMP system, & many voters oppose this new electoral system. Tables, References. J. Stanton

The interrelationships between contemporary political & economic changes in Aotearoa/New Zealand & the articulation between gender, ethnic, & class identities in New Zealand society are examined. Postcolonial politics in New Zealand has criticized the hegemonic role of the descendants of European colonizing settlers, & class & gender concerns have typically been subordinated to those of ethnicity. Identity politics has evolved, pitting white against Maori. Increasing participation of nonwhites in political & government activities is increasing the heterogeneity, as well as the tensions, of civil society. The politicization of women & the development of local versions of feminism are discussed. Internationalization of the New Zealand economy is creating conditions in which cross-sectional forms of resistance based not on common identity, but on shared purpose, are required. 57 References. D. Generoli

Discusses political careers & the political class in New Zealand. An historical overview & exploration of the institutional structure of politics in the country illuminate the professionalization of politics. The size, composition, & party affiliation of the political are highlighted, with discussion of political recruitment, career paths, & remuneration. The political class & electoral system reform are scrutinized. 2 Tables, 64 References. L. Collins Leigh