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Understanding Government Systems

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Understanding Government Systems

Read the briefing, then solve the questions. Use evidence from the briefing and your own reasoning where asked.

Briefing: how government works in Aotearoa New Zealand

At a low-tide rock pool, Wiremu, Anahera and Mere notice that visitors are leaving rubbish and disturbing shellfish. They want rules that protect the coast while still allowing people to enjoy it. Their discussion raises a bigger question: who makes decisions, and how should power be shared? Aotearoa New Zealand is a representative democracy and a constitutional monarchy. People aged 18 or over who meet eligibility rules can vote in general elections. Voters elect Members of Parliament (MPs); MPs debate and pass laws. Under the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, voters cast a party vote and an electorate vote. The party vote largely determines each party’s share of seats in Parliament. The party or group of parties able to command the confidence of Parliament forms the government. The Prime Minister leads the government. The monarch is New Zealand’s head of state, represented here by the Governor-General; political decisions are made by elected representatives and ministers, not by the monarch. Parliament makes laws, the Executive (the Prime Minister and ministers) runs the government and puts laws into action, and the courts interpret and apply the law. These roles are distinct, though they interact. Local councils make decisions about local services and issues, within powers set by national law. Different systems distribute power differently: in a dictatorship, power is concentrated in one ruler or a small group and political opposition may be restricted; in a monarchy, a monarch is head of state, but the monarch’s actual power varies greatly; and in a communist political system, a communist party typically leads the state, often with substantial state ownership or control of the economy. These labels describe broad patterns, not every detail of a country.

Party

Party vote

Seats

Harbour Party

46%

Coast Party

34%

Community Party

20%

Investigate the system

Answer each question in the space provided.

1.Match each term to its role. Write the correct letter beside each number.

1. Parliament
2. Executive
3. Courts

B. Makes laws
C. Runs the government and puts laws into action
A. Interprets and applies the law

2.Which statement best describes New Zealand’s system of government?

A. A direct democracy where every citizen votes on every law
B. A representative democracy with a constitutional monarch as head of state
C. A dictatorship in which the Prime Minister has unlimited power
D. A monarchy in which the monarch makes day-to-day political decisions

3.A new national law is proposed to protect shellfish habitats. Which institution debates and passes the law: Parliament, the courts, or a local council? Explain briefly.

4.Using the illustrative MMP results above, which party has the most seats, and how many seats does it have?

5.In the example, the Harbour Party has 46% of the party vote and 46 of the 100 seats. What does this illustrate about how the party vote works under MMP?

6.The monarch makes New Zealand’s day-to-day political decisions.

TrueFalse

7.The three distinct roles described in the briefing are Parliament, the Executive and the .

8.Choose either a dictatorship or a monarchy. Describe one way power is organised in that system, and explain why the label alone may not tell us everything about how a country is governed.

9.Wiremu, Anahera and Mere want a rule for rubbish disposal at a local coastal reserve. Which level of government is most likely to make decisions about this local issue, within powers set by national law? Give one reason.

10.The three friends want rules that protect the rock pool and are accepted by visitors. Propose one way they could have a say in a local decision, then explain how that differs from Parliament passing a national law.