Introduction to Politics, Public Policy & NZ Liberal Democracy

Course Orientation & Administrative Details

• Focus of the paper:
  • Predominantly on New Zealand politics; overseas comparisons only appear as brief touch-points.
• Session structure for the day:
  • Part $1$ = define “politics” & “policy–making”.
  • Part $2$ = practical housekeeping (Canvas, study guide, readings, assessments).
  • Break.
  • Part $3$ = first content block of the substantive course.
• Communication channel: Canvas announcements (expect at least weekly posts; urgent notices—e.g.
  illness—will appear here).

Why Humans Do Politics (Aristotelian Starting-Point)

• Aristotle’s (disputed) claim that “man is a political animal” ⇒ interpretation used in class: humans are social, form groups, create rules & procedures to decide “who gets to decide”.
• Core organising questions:
  • What are the rules?
  • Who writes/adapts them?
  • Do rules privilege one group over another?

Popular Cynicism & “Anti-Politics”

• Politics stereotyped as an impolite or “dirty” topic—“like sausage-making”.
• Headline culture: scandals, squabbling ⇒ erosion of trust.
• Rise of “anti-politics”:
  • Attitude: “all politicians are corrupt/useless”.
  • Sometimes crystallises in fringe lobby or pressure groups that amplify distrust.
• $2020$ example: Toby Manhire tweet parody (“One new case of disgraced NZ politician…”) highlighted scandal fatigue during an election year.

Four Classical Lenses for Defining Politics (Andrew Heywood reading)

1. Art of Government — narrow focus on formal machinery (Cabinet, legislation, ministries, parties, lobbyists).
2. Public Affairs — broad lens: anything not purely private (schools, NGOs, arts, justice, community groups).
3. Politics as Compromise/Consensus — style emphasising negotiation over coercion (e.g. diplomatic conflict resolution).
4. Politics as Power — distribution/production of scarce resources; visible (coercion) & invisible (agenda-setting, persuasion) dimensions.
   • COVID-$19$ “team of $5$ million” = persuasive power, not raw force.

Why Marginal Policy Shifts Matter

• Even “tinkering” affects lived reality:
  • Example $1$: Labour proposal to extend free Early-Childhood Education to $2$-year-olds vs subsequent “Family Boost” credit by new government.
  • Example $2$: Climate change seldom headlined despite existential stakes.
  • Example $3$: Family violence shifted from “private” to major public issue, changing police/court roles.

Public Policy – Working Definition

• “A system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action & funding priorities concerning a topic, promulgated by a government entity.”
  Elements must be backed by $\textbf{law}$ and $\textbf{money}$ (e.g. WorkSafe post-Pike River required funding, not just statute).
• Law vs Regulation: Minimum-wage statute empowers Minister of Labour to set $\textit{actual}$ wage rate by regulation (no fresh Act each time).
• Policy is inherently political because it embeds values:
  • Raises but doesn’t inflation-match minimum wage ⇒ privileging employer cost concern over worker buying power.

Case Study for Tutorial Discussion – Free Public Transport?

• Four floated options (under $2022$ mayoral race): universal-free; under-$25$-free; $\$50$ weekly cap; status quo.
• Competing problem-definitions change the “best” solution:
  • Cost-of-living? ⇒ Target low-income users.
  • Climate change? ⇒ Max modal shift from cars ⇒ broad or universal subsidy.
  • Congestion? ⇒ Focus peak-hour commuters.
• Policymaking often non-linear—politicians sometimes pick a solution first & retrofit the problem.
• Evidence base: international cases show ridership spikes, but fiscal & service-frequency tensions.

Agenda-Setting Examples

• Warm–dry housing standards: once “private choice”, now regulated (insulation, heating) because activists placed issue on agenda.
• Sequence: media attention → public concern → political uptake.

Political Studies – Sub-fields Snapshot

• Theory & philosophy | History | Public-sector management | Institutions | Comparative & area studies | IR/war–peace | Elections & voting behaviour | Media & politics.
• This paper homes in on power, rights, state–citizen relations & system design in Aotearoa.

Who Can’t Vote in NZ? (Current & Contested Exclusions)

• Prisoners:
  • $1993$ Electoral Act: sentence $\le 3$ yrs ⇒ retain vote.
  • $2010$ blanket ban.
  • $2015–2020$ litigation ⇒ Supreme Court: ban breaches Bill of Rights.
  • $2020$ law change: vote restored for sentences $\le 3$ yrs; longer sentences still disenfranchised.
• NZ citizens overseas:
  • Must visit NZ within last $3$ yrs (COVID-era extension to $6$ yrs).
  • Independent review recommends loosening.
• Age:
  • Vote at $18$; “Make It $16$” case ⇒ Supreme Court called $18$ discriminatory; previous govt planned $16$ for local elections; new govt reversed; UK recently extended $16$ nationwide.
• Citizenship not strictly required: permanent residents & holders of residence-class visas (no expiry) may vote after $1$ yr residence—Electoral Review suggests tightening.
• Mental incapacity: those detained under Mental Health Act or judged severely incapacitated can be removed from roll.

Direct vs Representative Democracy

• Direct (Athenian model): citizen assemblies, lot-drawn offices; practicable only in micro-states, excluded women/slaves/foreign-born.
• Representative rationale for large modern states:
  • Expertise development & time-saving.
  • Risk: becomes limited/indirect unless strong link to electorate is maintained.

Character of Representatives – Does It Matter?

• Tension between policy performance vs personal integrity.
• Illustrative cases:
  • Donald Trump: personal scandals tolerated by supporters prioritising policy (abortion).
  • Boris Johnson: serial dishonesty vs governance record.
  • Local NZ: Wellington councillor Ray Chung & sex-rumour campaign against Mayor Tory Whanau; Auckland councillor spreading same gossip.

Liberal-Democratic Architecture (NZ as Example)

Key traits:

1. Regular, fixed-maximum elections (NZ $\le 3$ yrs; $2024$ referendum proposes $4$ yrs).
2. Competitive multi-party contests ⇒ electoral discipline.
3. Pluralism & legal right to organise dissent.
4. Checks on power:
   • Independent judiciary & rule of law.
   • Office of the Ombudsman (Official Information Act watchdog).
   • Controller-&-Auditor-General (spending legality).
   • Governor-General assent requirement.
5. Civil & political liberties (speech, association, vote).
6. Political culture norms: tolerance, compromise, “institutional forbearance” (actors refrain from exploiting every legal loophole).

Illustrations of Norm Stress-Tests

• NZ $1984$ outgoing PM Muldoon’s refusal to implement currency devaluation ordered by incoming govt.
• $2017$ social-media claims of “stolen” election when largest party not in govt.
• US: Trump’s vow to purge disloyal civil servants; refusal to concede $2020$.
• Survey (NZ Disinformation Project $2023$):
  • $8\%$ of total sample say threats of violence acceptable for change.
  • $27\%$ among high-misinformation believers endorse real violence.

Government Under Law – Recent Court Checks

• COVID-$19$ era:
  • Some lockdown orders ruled partially unlawful; MIQ room-allocation found procedurally unlawful.
• Climate policy $2023$: Cabinet lowered Emissions-Trading-Scheme carbon price below statutorily required range ⇒ Lawyers for Climate Action won High Court ruling compelling compliance.

Strengths & Weaknesses of NZ Democratic Design

Strengths

• High electoral integrity (independent Electoral Commission).
• Peaceful transfers of power.
• MMP proportionality curbs “three-year elective dictatorship”.

Weaknesses / Ongoing Debates

• Single-chamber Parliament → laws can pass by $1$ vote on single night.
• Low local-election turnout (~$35\%$; wealthy suburbs ~$60\%$ vs poorer ~$20\%$).
• Elite homogeneity (lawyers, well-off professionals).
• Policy performance concerns: expensive reviews/committees without delivery.

Measuring Democratic Quality

• Participation (turnout breadth).
• Contestation (ideological spread & genuine choice).
• Accountability (media scrutiny, OIA compliance, judicial review).
• Equality (whose voices count?).
• Policy effectiveness (are problems solved?).
• International indices (e.g. V-Dem, Economist Intelligence Unit, Varieties of Democracy) monitor NZ alongside peers.

Looking Ahead in the Paper

• Upcoming tutorial (Week $2$): begin Assessment $1$ (critical review of selected documentary films—titles provided on Canvas).
• Lectures will later cover elections, MMP mechanics, media, lobbying, constitutional structure, and public-administration topics.