New Zealand's defence policy: From realism to idealism?

Abstract

New Zealand’s defence policy over the last 25 years has changed dramatically, going from being anchored in a Realist view of the world to being one influenced more by a Liberal Internationalist view of international relations. This has meant that defence policy has gone from one reliant on a balanced military force and collective security with allies to one that is attuned primarily to peace-keeping and determinedly independent of allies. The change is mainly the result of the increasing influence of the Labour party’s ideology on defence policy.