The rise of the New Zealand National Party, 1936-1949

Abstract

This thesis explores a considerable area of virgin territory both for the historian and the political scientist; for the historian because the period covered is so recent, for the political scientist because the study of political parties in New Zealand has, as yet, scarcely been touched .The original intention behind this thesis was to undertake a study of the structure of the National Party in the years of Opposition, 1936 to 1949,but it was found that such a study could only be undertaken if an adequate history of the Party's growth and development in those years had been provided; no approach to such an historical account has even been made to date, hence the scope originally intended was widened to provide a historical study of the National party in the Opposition years including in it a reduced account of the structure. It was also felt that use should be made of the considerable number of primary sources made available to the writer for a fuller history than could otherwise be written. For these reasons it is hoped that the reader will excuse the considerable length of this thesis. The subject of this thesis is the history of the growth development,difficulties faced and problems encountered, of one example of that twentieth century political phenomenon,the mass party; consisting of the two autonomous institutions or entities,the disciplined political group in Parliament and the mass extra-Parliamentary organisation assisting the Parliamentarians in being elected to parliament and advising them on policy.