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    New times in New Zealand? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1996) Edmonds, Philip Ferguson
    There is widespread agreement that New Zealand, among other advanced nations, has experienced major economic, political and cultural change in recent times. Yet the causes, the extent and the implications of these changes are still very much contested. The 'New Times' thesis has offered one interpretation of change which suggests a transformational shift has occurred following the 'breakdown' of the 'postwar settlement'. This breakdown is seen as a result of the declining influence of structural forces where the effect has been the emergence of a society characterised by diversity and difference. In this thesis, I critically assess the New Times position, and in doing so, contemplate its ability to help clarify and define more precisely the meaning of New Zealand's recent change. I conclude that while the New Times project is ultimately ineffectual in providing a sound theoretical and empirical account of contemporary developments, it does usefully highlight the need, particularly in New Zealand, for a new approach to account for changing social formations.
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    The New Zealand Labour Party and the rise of ̀Rogernomics', 1981-1984 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1987) Oliver, William Hugh
    This thesis is an attempt to account for the emergence of the set of economic policies now known as 'Rogernomics' in the Labour Parly after 1981. It will be argued that the crucial issue in economic policy debates in the Labour Party between 1981 and 1984 was the issue of participation in the formulation and implementation of the economic policies of a future Labour government. Many in the Labour Party were committed to fostering a broad national consensus and sense of collective purpose and wished to do this by means of a negotiated agreement between government, employers, and trade unions. This meant in effect sharing governmental power with employers and unions and this corporatist intention was seen as a way of democratising the society. Those in the caucus who were involved in the consideration of economic policy matters were also in general committed to restructuring the New Zealand economy. It was realised that this would involve high social costs in terms of living standards, unemployment, and disruption to traditional patterns of employment and residence. It is argued that these two commitments, to both broad participation and restructuring were contradictory for an economic policy involving high social costs could not have received the prior and informed consent of the nation as a whole or of the organisations of labour that were deemed to represent a large section of the nation. It is argued that this contradiction led to the collapse of the corporatist tendency in the caucus and that this was the crucial strategic opportunity for Roger Douglas and the policy of market led restructuring. 'Rogernomics' is seen to be in general an elitist doctrine which seeks to narrow the range of participants in, and influences on, the formulation and implementation of economic policy. This empirical study of the rise of 'Rogernomics' is taken to validate a general theoretical point: that in times of economic stagnation the restoration of a capitalist economy is imcompatible with the expansion of opportunities for democratic participation in the formulation and implementation of the policies of the state.
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    An econometric analysis of New Zealand's determinants of economic growth, 1960-1996 : a research thesis submitted in partial requirement for the degree of Masters of Applied and International Economics at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) Black, Sarah
    The key purpose of this study is to analyse whether the generally agreed determinants of economic growth, such as labour force, trade, openness to trade, investment, inflation, research and development, human capital, tourism, government consumption expenditure and government education expenditure, impact significantly on New Zealand's growth. This study applies Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration regression analysis to time series data on the relevant variables for the period 1960 to 1996. Empirical models are based on neoclassical and endogenous growth theory models, and equations specified will fall under seven differing frameworks. The importance of economic growth and principally the sequence of New Zealand's growth, is the main reason for choosing New Zealand as the case study in this analysis. Such an empirical examination should enhance the knowledge and future development of economic growth and its determinants for New Zealand. Empirical evidence indicates that the endogenous growth model explains New Zealand's economic growth performance quite satisfactorily. Models incorporating the variables: growth of exports, public sector investment and tourism receipts, are positive and statistically significant to New Zealand's growth performance over this period. Export-led growth is favoured in this analysis. The need for massive state intervention in the New Zealand economy was officially declared over by the Fourth Labour Government in 1984. Radical and extensive macroeconomic and microeconomic reforms were undertaken, representing a revolutionary break from past policies of heavy regulation and import protection and the accompanying large fiscal deficits and high rates of inflation. Succeeding this period of major restructuring, the New Zealand economy has supported a strong recovery since 1991, outperforming most other OECD countries. The challenge now for policy makers, is to manage sustained economic growth, as growth slows under the influence of a shaky international environment.
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    An examination of the methods and effects of restricting external trade : with particular reference to the New Zealand experience (1938-68) : presented to the Faculty of Social Science, Massey University in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
    (Massey University, 1974) Lane, P. A.
    A notable feature of economic activity since the second world war has been the growth of international trade, which has tended to increase relative dependence on trade, thus placing a larger section of the national economy outside the control of normal monetary and fiscal policy. Thus, between 1960 and 1970, the real G.N.P. of the Industrial Nations of the world increased by just over a half; during the same period the volume of trade of these nations increased by 119%. One of the features of this growth in trade has been an increasing, especially among industrial nations - making exports dependent on a narrower range of goods, more sensitive to market changes. At the same time, a much wider range of importable goods has become available, making a larger section of the internal economy sensitive to the winds of foreign competition. New Zealand has been something of an exception to this rule. Since the war, she has become somewhat less dependent on trade. Her relative dependence, measured as Exports + Imports/Gross Dom. Prod. (current prices, Imports at C.D.V.) was 46.3% in 1950/51, gradually falling to 41.8% in 1960/61, and 36.7% in 1970/71. This is insufficient evidence on which to make too sweeping a generalisation, but it is significant that those nations which had the more liberal trade policies - Japan, Germany, Sweden - experienced pro-trade biased growth, while a country like New Zealand with stringent control policies, had anti-trade biased growth. And economic growth itself was somewhat slower in New Zealand, averaging about 1.5% in real terms during the 1950s, 1.3% in the 1960s.