Abstract
AbstractDespite widespread concerns about the manipulation of government‐initiated referendums, there has been little consideration of the long‐term effects of these institutional changes. Using a historical institutionalist framework, I examine two long‐standing processes of gradual institutional change in New Zealand: the serial referendum and the two‐stage referendum. Cabinet documents, parliamentary speeches, and previous analyses reveal that governments change referendums in unique ways depending on the political circumstances, including precedents set by earlier referendums. Once set in motion, these processes of gradual institutional change can fundamentally transform the functional qualities of the referendum over time. This article suggests that avoiding conceptions of referendums as discrete events can help clarify the challenges and potentials to democratizing popular votes.Related ArticlesLachapelle, Erick, Thomas Bergeron, Richard Nadeau, Jean‐François Daoust, Ruth Dassonneville, and Éric Bélanger. 2021. “Citizens' Willingness to Support New Taxes for COVID‐19 Measures and the Role of Trust.” Politics & Policy 49(3): 534–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12404Pierson, Chris, and Louise Humpage. 2016. “Coming Together or Drifting Apart? Income Maintenance in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.” Politics & Policy 44(2): 261–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12150Silagadze, Nanuli. 2021. “Abortion Referendums: Is There a Recipe for Success?” Politics & Policy 49(2): 352–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12398
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