It is widely accepted that representative government is party government, and that political parties are the vital link between citizen and the state. In light of the recent history of political reform in New Zealand, it is imperative that the role and influence of parties and the party system be rigorously reassessed. Party Politics in New Zealand is concerned with the external and internal worlds of party politics in New Zealand. It is organised around two central themes. The first explores the reconfiguration of the two-party system into a multiparty one in which up to seven or eight parties regularly win parlimentary seats and coalitions are the standard form of government. The second delves inside the parties to consider the issue of political participation.
In Party Politics in New Zealand, Raymond Miller thematically investigates a number of issues that long have long concerned scholars, dividing chapters by topic, rather than by party, making the book appealing to students.