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Government of New Zealand

The Government of New Zealand operates as a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy based on the British system. The monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, is the head of state, while the Prime Minister, appointed by the monarch, is the head of government. The country’s executive power is exercised by the Cabinet, comprising ministers chosen by the Prime Minister. Legislative power is shared between the sovereign and the bicameral parliament, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Governor-General, who represents the monarch. The Judiciary of New Zealand is independent of the executive and the legislature. New Zealand follows a mixed-member proportional representation system which creates a balance of power among multiple political parties.