5 posts
New Zealand ranks 14th globally for liberal democracy — but 37th for deliberative democracy, and falling. Using data from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project, I look at how NZ compares to peer countries and trace the sharp drop in deliberation since 2023.
Economy, cost of living, and health dominated voter concerns in 2023. But while National owned the economy, no party owned cost of living — a distinction that could shape the 2026 election.
Support for climate action among right-leaning New Zealanders dropped from 52% to 29% between 2020 and 2023. Using NZES data, I look at how the left-right divide on climate is widening — in both policy support and belief in the science itself.
New Zealand's Treaty of Waitangi debate is increasingly partisan — left and right voters are now 34 points apart. I look at what the data shows and what it means for 2026.
Extreme weather keeps putting climate change in the headlines — but will it actually matter to New Zealand voters in 2026? The data suggests probably not.