PapersFlow Research Brief
New Zealand Economic and Social Studies
Research Guide
What is New Zealand Economic and Social Studies?
New Zealand Economic and Social Studies is a field examining the economic policies, environmental sustainability, social welfare, income distribution, regional dynamics, land use, climate change impacts, agricultural emissions, and housing market within New Zealand's economy.
This field encompasses 25,958 works focused on New Zealand's economic and environmental dynamics. Key areas include income distribution, regional dynamics, land use, climate change, agricultural emissions, and the housing market. It addresses intersections of economic policies, environmental sustainability, and social welfare.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Income Inequality in New Zealand
This sub-topic examines the measurement, trends, and determinants of income distribution disparities across households and regions in New Zealand. Researchers analyze policy impacts on Gini coefficients, wage gaps, and poverty rates using econometric models.
New Zealand Housing Market Dynamics
This sub-topic investigates housing affordability, price bubbles, supply constraints, and tenure patterns in urban and rural New Zealand markets. Studies employ time-series analysis and spatial econometrics to model demand and policy interventions.
Agricultural Emissions in New Zealand
This sub-topic focuses on greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming, mitigation technologies, and carbon pricing schemes specific to New Zealand's pastoral agriculture. Researchers model methane and nitrous oxide fluxes using life-cycle assessments.
Regional Economic Disparities New Zealand
This sub-topic explores productivity gaps, migration patterns, and infrastructure investments between regions like Auckland and rural South Island. Empirical work uses shift-share analysis and computable general equilibrium models.
New Zealand Economic Reforms 1980s
This sub-topic analyzes the structural adjustments, deregulation, and privatization policies of the 1984-1990s reforms and their long-term outcomes. Researchers evaluate efficiency gains and social costs via counterfactual simulations.
Why It Matters
Studies in this field analyze New Zealand's shift from a closed, centrally controlled economy to one of the most open in the OECD through reforms between 1984 and 1995, which introduced performance contracts for senior civil servants and comprehensive liberalization. Evans et al. (1996) in "Economic Reform in New Zealand 1984-95: The Pursuit of Efficiency" detail how these changes pursued efficiency across sectors. Coibion et al. (2018) in "How Do Firms Form Their Expectations? New Survey Evidence" reveal dispersion in New Zealand firms' beliefs about inflation and macroeconomic conditions, informing monetary policy. Kelsey's (1995) "The New Zealand Experiment: A World Model for Structural Adjustment?" evaluates structural adjustment models integrating economic and social outcomes. Head (2023) in "Wicked Problems in Public Policy" applies to New Zealand's complex policy challenges like climate change and emissions.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"Economic Reform in New Zealand 1984-95: The Pursuit of Efficiency" by Evans, Grimes, and Wilkinson (1996) provides a foundational overview of New Zealand's major economic transition with clear documentation of reforms.
Key Papers Explained
Evans et al. (1996) in "Economic Reform in New Zealand 1984-95: The Pursuit of Efficiency" establishes the reform context, which Kelsey (1995) in "The New Zealand Experiment: A World Model for Structural Adjustment?" critiques by integrating social outcomes. Coibion et al. (2018) in "How Do Firms Form Their Expectations? New Survey Evidence" builds on this by surveying firm responses to post-reform macroeconomic conditions. Head (2023) in "Wicked Problems in Public Policy" extends to policy challenges arising from these dynamics.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Recent emphasis remains on 1984-1995 reforms and firm expectations, as no new preprints or news cover developments in the last 12 months.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand Journal of Psychology | 2019 | New Zealand journal of... | 2.1K | ✕ |
| 2 | Remarriage as an Incomplete Institution | 1978 | American Journal of So... | 939 | ✕ |
| 3 | Wicked Problems in Public Policy | 2023 | — | 735 | ✓ |
| 4 | The New Zealand Experiment: A World Model for Structural Adjus... | 1995 | — | 733 | ✕ |
| 5 | Paradise reforged: a history of the New Zealanders from the 18... | 2002 | Choice Reviews Online | 681 | ✕ |
| 6 | The Family and Individual Development | 1966 | The Medical Journal of... | 597 | ✕ |
| 7 | The Mirab Economy in South Pacific Microstates | 1985 | Pacific Viewpoint | 563 | ✓ |
| 8 | Wind and solar power systems: design, analysis, and operation | 2006 | Choice Reviews Online | 548 | ✕ |
| 9 | How Do Firms Form Their Expectations? New Survey Evidence | 2018 | American Economic Review | 533 | ✕ |
| 10 | Economic Reform in New Zealand 1984-95: The Pursuit of Efficiency | 1996 | Journal of Economic Li... | 486 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the main features of New Zealand's economic reforms from 1984 to 1995?
New Zealand transitioned from a closed, centrally controlled economy to one of the most open in the OECD. Reforms included performance contracts for senior civil servants and comprehensive liberalization across sectors. Evans et al. (1996) in "Economic Reform in New Zealand 1984-95: The Pursuit of Efficiency" document this pursuit of efficiency.
How do New Zealand firms form expectations about macroeconomic conditions?
Surveys of New Zealand firms show widespread dispersion in beliefs about past and future macroeconomic conditions, especially inflation. This dispersion aligns with firms' incentives to collect and process information. Coibion et al. (2018) in "How Do Firms Form Their Expectations? New Survey Evidence" provide this evidence.
What is the New Zealand Experiment in structural adjustment?
The New Zealand Experiment refers to economic reforms modeled as a world example for structural adjustment. It accounts for changes in political life and offers alternative models integrating economic and social outcomes. Kelsey (1995) in "The New Zealand Experiment: A World Model for Structural Adjustment?" analyzes this.
How are wicked problems addressed in New Zealand public policy?
Wicked problems are complex, open-ended, and intractable, with contested problems and solutions. The literature provides an overview contextualized by real-world examples relevant to New Zealand. Head (2023) in "Wicked Problems in Public Policy" covers this.
What is the MIRAB economy in South Pacific microstates including New Zealand?
The MIRAB economy describes economic structures in South Pacific microstates. Bertram and Watters (1985) in "The Mirab Economy in South Pacific Microstates" examine this model.
What topics define New Zealand Economic and Social Studies?
Core topics include income distribution, regional dynamics, land use, climate change, agricultural emissions, housing market, labour productivity, environmental policy, and economy. Keywords confirm focus on these areas within New Zealand's context.
Open Research Questions
- ? How has the dispersion in New Zealand firms' inflation expectations evolved post-2018 surveys?
- ? What long-term social welfare outcomes resulted from the 1984-1995 economic reforms?
- ? How do wicked problems like agricultural emissions challenge New Zealand's public policy frameworks?
- ? In what ways does the MIRAB economy model apply to contemporary New Zealand regional dynamics?
- ? What institutional gaps persist in remarriage and family structures in New Zealand society?
Recent Trends
The field holds steady at 25,958 works with no specified 5-year growth rate.
Most-cited papers continue to dominate, including Coibion et al. on firm expectations (533 citations) and Head (2023) on wicked problems (735 citations), indicating sustained interest in policy and expectations without new preprints or news in the last 12 months.
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