ABSTRACT
This chapter treats electoral systems and party systems as two closely related causal elements that influence political information. This treatment is, of course, consonant with the Duvergerian theme at the core of research on electoral institutions and party systems. The scarcity of empirical research linking democratic institutions with political information is likely the result of the challenges associated with gathering the necessary data. For the most part, electoral and party systems vary and provide empirical leverage only cross-nationally. The party manifestos and the legislative speeches in New Zealand offer an intriguing preliminary look at how changes in the electoral and party systems affect the information environment, particularly because they provide a useful look into elite behavior. The manifestos measure party positioning on law and order as the proportion of each party's manifesto devoted to positive support for the following positions: enforcement of all laws; actions against crime; support for enhancing resources for police; tougher attitudes in courts.
