I wonder... perhaps someone should write a book about why the models of liberal democracy adopted throughout the Anglosphere have tended to be much more stable than the forms adopted elsewhere.
Elements like the first-past-the-post system and the electoral college are interesting examples of how that plays out. (And perhaps we should keep an eye on New Zealand -- we can see whether it is a question of model or political culture, as they are a Westminster-style democracy that has adopted PR.)
I wasn't aware of New Zealand changing its electoral method. It might be interesting to see if, over time, we get more extreme responses. It could take a very long time to show, however, as elections are infrequent and the culture acts as a braking force. New generations of politicians might be better able to exploit a new system, just as young people in the 60's ran circles around thier elders due to much better media savy. Nixon vs. Kennedy comes to mind.
Commenting by HaloScan
