Populism in New Zealand
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During the 1990s New Zealand saw a growth in populism,[1] a political trend whose advocates claim to work for "the people" rather than for the "elite". The rise of populism in the country has been attributed to the introduction of the mixed-member proportional electoral system, as well as to the populist nature of election campaigns, such as that of the Labour Party in the lead-up to the 1999 election.[citation needed] The New Zealand First party, which has historically taken a nationalist standpoint, has been described as a populist party.[1][2][3]