Rational, Reverential or Experimental? The Politics of Electoral Reform in Oceania

Abstract

The politics of electoral reform is a growing area of research, but to date Oceania, with the exception of New Zealand, has received little comparative attention. Using evidence from Fiji, Nauru, Tonga and Papua New Guinea, as well as Australia and New Zealand, this paper sets out: to understand the process of electoral reform at national and regional levels; to examine the variation in the process; and to consider whether theories of electoral reform derived from elsewhere apply to the Oceanic experience. The main findings are that electoral reform is a highly complex process, influenced by diffusion, democratic values and parties’ self-interest.