There are three main elements to this course: (1) History and Institutions - this is the part that we could call "NZ Politics 101" - we will cover the basics of NZ government, including the history behind the system. This is to ensure that you know the key institutions, rules, what policy is, why a mace is carried into the house each sitting day, how Parliament and Government works, and so on. In summary, this section of the course provides background so that students understand how parliament and government work in NZ. (2) Parties, leaders, and elections - we then get into "political science" or politics part of the course - key questions include: what do we mean by left and right? Who are the main, minor, and micro parties? How do the parties campaign? How do they win? What are the Māori seats? Who is the Orange Guy? And why even vote anyway? (3) Current events and issues in NZ politics - throughout the course we will have a number of guests and place an emphasis on current issues in politics. We will have a number of Members of Parliament as visitors, plus we will cover important issues such as participation, gender, and referenda.