Robert MacCulloch: Are MMP-Style Coalition Agreements Good or Bad for the Country?

In NZ's old first-past-the-post political system, we knew what the government would be on election night. The winning party assumed power based on a bunch of promises, most of which it was free to dump in the future with the defense that "circumstances had changed". And that may have well been true. Maintaining flexibility can be a virtue since it allows one to adjust policies as new information arrives.