{"product_id":"the-new-zealand-legislative-council-9781487591984","title":"The New Zealand Legislative Council","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe New Zealand upper house, the Legislative Council (which bore a marked resemblance to its Canadian counterpart the Federal Senate) was abolished in 1950 in an action which represents one of the most clear-cut examples of pragmatic politics in New Zealand history. It was abolished by the essentially conservative National party (fundamentally committed to the bicameral principle), while the Labour party (formally committed to abolition) at first obstructed and then merely stood on the sidelines. New Zealand thus became the only democratic country in the world without either an upper house or a formal written constitution of any consequence. The author attempts both to explain this unusual development and to assess its consequences.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe generally accepted view that the Legislative Council failed in 1892 is challenged, and the causes of the decline and failure are traced back to circumstances surrounding its original establishment in 1854. Subsequently, developments since 1950\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Toronto Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49409174077783,"sku":"9781487591984","price":23.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781487591984.jpg?v=1730505758","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-new-zealand-legislative-council-9781487591984","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}