David Denemark’s “Choosing MMP in New Zealand: Explaining the 1993 Electoral Reform”:

Background of Electoral Reform:

New Zealand transitioned from a First-Past-the-Post (FPP) electoral system to a Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) system following the 1993 referendum. This marked a significant shift in the nation's political landscape.

Reasons for Dissatisfaction with FPP:

Voter discontent with the FPP system stemmed from its tendency to produce disproportional election results, often exaggerating the dominance of major parties while marginalizing smaller parties.

The "electoral distortion" under FPP was highlighted by instances where a party could win a majority of seats without winning the majority of the popular vote.

Political and Social Context:

The 1980s and early 1990s saw growing public dissatisfaction with major political parties, primarily due to perceived policy betrayals and neoliberal reforms that alienated segments of the electorate.

A sense of declining political representation fueled support for structural electoral reform.

Process of Electoral Reform:

Electoral reform emerged as a response to mounting public pressure and a series of events that built momentum for change, including a Royal Commission's recommendation to adopt MMP.

The reform was driven by grassroots advocacy, elite endorsements, and strategic alignment among disaffected voters and smaller political entities.

Features of the MMP System:

MMP combines proportional representation with single-member districts, aiming to balance local representation with proportional fairness in parliamentary composition.

The system ensures smaller parties gain representation proportional to their national vote share while retaining local constituency representation.

Impacts and Implications:

The adoption of MMP reflected broader trends in democratic reform, emphasizing accountability, representation, and fairness.

The shift introduced new dynamics in coalition-building, voter behavior, and political party strategies, reshaping New Zealand's political system.

The reform also had ripple effects internationally, inspiring discussions on electoral reform in other democracies.