‘[Y]ou can do it a bit differently’?: Ardern’s prime ministership in historical Perspective
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This article considers how Jacinda Ardern’s tenure as prime minister fits within the prime ministerial power scholarship and how she compares to past prime ministers. I discuss how New Zealand prime ministers – and particularly Ardern – exercised powers in relation to parliament and the executive, and consider their public prominence. I argue that, first, prime ministers’ parliamentary role decreased over the 20th century, and that Ardern was not especially prominent or active in parliamentary debates. Furthermore, parliament transacted a standard amount of business during Ardern’s terms in office. Second, Ardern’s executive role was not especially notable in terms of her approach to forming government, allocating portfolios and reprimanding ministers. The 2017–2020 governing arrangements were unique in that New Zealand First worked with the second-largest major party post-election, although the coalition still required support from the Green party. In 2020, however, she won an historic single-party majority, but still broadly followed the pattern of recent prime ministers who formed oversized governing arrangements. Finally, despite accusations of Jacindamania, domestic media coverage of Ardern was not especially high compared to that of past prime ministers. However, international coverage of both the New Zealand prime minister and Ardern personally was especially notable.
Source: Political Science
Author: V. K. G. Woodman
Institution: University of Auckland
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411874989