Although New Zealand is seen internationally and nationally as an independent nation, its constitution is such that it shares its head of state with Great Britain and many Commonwealth countries. Although it has been suggested that this is a technicality, as at present the monarch is 'Queen of New Zealand', the legal powers of the monarch in New Zealand are very real. Thus, it is the British monarch that holds ultimate power in the New Zealand legal system, although these powers are not used out of constitutional convention.

This thesis attempts to explain why New Zealand has not become a republic. It examines in detail six major areas of New Zealand life and experience. These factors are the personal following of Queen Elizabeth II, British symbolism within New Zealand life, public apathy in New Zealand towards the constitution, New Zealand's immigration policies, the legal considerations required for New Zealand to change its constitution to that of a republic (such as what would replace the monarchy), and Maori opinion. The proposition of this thesis is that these six factors are each individually necessary, and in combination sufficient, to explain why New Zealand is not a republic and to explain why a serious debate about republicanism has not taken place in New Zealand.