The New Zealand government at both a Local and National level is an excellent example of a modern, Representative Democracy. Different election systems, including First Past the Post (FPP), Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) and Single Transferable Vote (STV), are used to allow electors to select representatives to sit on Councils, Boards and in Parliament. Some elements of Constitutional Monarchy are present in the New Zealand system of democratically elected representatives within a constitutional Monarchy contrasts well with the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.
Central Government in New Zealand is based on the democratic system with Political Parties voted into Parliament based on the will of the people. The New Zealand public, over the age of 18, are entitled to vote in the general elections held every 3 years. The composition of parliament is based on the Mixed Member proportional Representation (MMP) electoral system. This voting system allows a wide range of political parties to be represented in Parliament. Currently the New Zealand Parliament contains representatives from National, Labour, Green Party, Maori Party, Act and a few independent MPs. The national party has formed a government under an alliance with Act and the Maori Party. John Key is Prime Minister of New Zealand because he is the leader of the National Party. One of Parliaments main responsibilities is to manage the law which govern the way New Zealand operates and what the citizens are able to do. Within Parliament the speaker controls the debates and arguments that occur when Parliament sits in the debating chamber. The speaker can be elected from any Party and must act impartially and allow all members of Parliament the right to speak. Under New Zealands constitutional Monarchy the Government is responsible to the Governor General. This is largely a ceremonial role which originates from a time when New Zealand was a colony of England. In the past the Governor