Conservative Populism in the U.S and N.Z

Over the last 30 years many working and lower-middle class Amercians that previously supported the Democrat Party have now switched allegiance to the Republicans. According to Thomas Frank in Whats the Matter with America these 'populist' voters are largely oblivious to economic issues and vote with the Republicans on social issues like abortion to spite the nation's liberal elites. In so doing they have allowed economic policy to shift further to the right. According to Frank, the primary reason for this change in voting behaviour has been a misguided policy by the Democrats to appeal to white-collar liberals over traditional blue-collar voters.

Since 1984 the New Zealand Labour Party has shifted to the right on economic policy whilst trying to appeal to white-collar liberals through its 'Nuclear Free' policy as well various social reforms in areas like gay rights. During this time voter turnout has declined as increasing numbers of voters have become disillusioned with the two main parties. However, it is only in the last few years that a conservative populist backlash along U.S lines had started to occur. The emergence of Destiny Church and the urban/rural split in the 2005 election are a direct reaction to the social policy initatives of Labour's second term. Perhaps even more significantly, the new urban/rural devide looks very similar to the coastal/hinterland divide in the U.S.

At the start of 2005 Labour was in a strong position with little support for National's economic proposals. However, Labour stuck its neck out with some controversial policy initatives such a proposal to legalise prostitution. Come election time and Labour received a sound thrashing in the provinces, including some previously safe seats like Palmerston North. Although Labour recovered to win the election by a narrow margin it duly took notice of the conservative backlash by turning to the centre parties, New Zealand First and United Future, at the expense of the more fancied centre-left Greens.

Since New Zealand has followed so many U.S fashions in recent years, from credit cards to personalised number plates and cheerleaders, it seems likely it will develop some backlash fashions from the U.S as well. Hopefully the Labour Party, unlike the U.S Democrats, will start to pay some attention to working and lower-middle class voters who are suspicious of progressive social policies.