Japan: a Quarter Century After the Electoral Reform

 
PIIS032150750007656-3-1
DOI10.31857/S032150750007656-3
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Occupation: Head, Department of Afro-Asian Studies, MGIMO-University; Leading Research Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies RAS
Affiliation:
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-University), The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences (IV RAS)
Address: Moscow, 76, Vernadskogo Prosp., Moscow 119454, Russian Federation
Journal nameAsia and Africa Today
EditionIssue 12
Pages41-48
Abstract

The paper addresses the problem of long-term consequences of the electoral reform in Japan held a quarter-century ago. The author tries to give an answer to the question, how the reform influenced the electoral behavior of the Japanese and the electoral strategies of political parties. The author insists that the mixed electoral system of Japan encourages less inner-party competition and strengthens the party-first principle in electoral politics. The electoral decision of the voter is influenced by subjective factors, namely, by the image of the party and its leaders formed in his head on the basis of mass media coverages, and also by his personal assessment of party programs and the election manifestos.

However, the substance of the inter-party rivalry, namely the struggle of party programs and slogans, attracts attention of a limited groups of voters. This is due to the fact that the deideologization of politics has led to marginalization of differences in the approaches of parties to the main problems of social life. For this reason, the political struggle is largely image-based: the parties are fighting for the most favorable image in the minds of the «median voters». At the same time, party brands are largely formed by the aggressive PR policy of parties, which are intensively using populist slogans, as well as attractive images of their leaders. 

Lowering share of «solid votes» and a gradual departure from the paternalistic type of consciousness contribute to growing skepticism of voters towards political parties, to their apolitism and absenteeism, which lead to a steadily low voter turnout.

Judging by the weak electoral results of the opposition, which is still going through a period of reorganization, in the recent elections, the Japanese voters are largely conservative and do not wish drastic changes. Obviously, electoral behavior in the future will strongly depend on the imagiological features of the political parties and their leaders, shaped by various media technologies.

KeywordsJapan, electoral reform, «floating voices», populism, electoral mobilization
Publication date13.12.2019
Number of characters33592
Cite  
100 rub.
When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 1, views: 1400

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Curtis G.L. Election Campaigning Japanese Style. New York, Columbia University Press, 1971.

2. Christensen R. The New Japanese Election System // Pacific Affairs. 1996, Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 49-70.

3. Стрельцов Д.В. Избирательная реформа в современной Японии // Восток (Oriens). 2012, № 4, c. 62-70. (Streltsov D.V. 2012. Electoral reform in contemporary Japan// Vostok (Oriens). № 4) (In Russ.)

4. Kreuzer M. Electoral mechanisms and electioneering incentives // Party Politics, 2000, vol. 6, № 4, p. 492.

5. Hirano S. Electoral Institutions, Hometowns, and Favored Minorities: Evidence from Japanese Electoral Reforms // World Politics. 2006, Vol. 59, No. 1, p. 59.

6. Miura M. Persistence of Women’s Under-Representation // Pekkanen R., Reed S., Scheiner E., Smith D. (eds). Japan Decides 2017. The Japanese General Election. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018, p. 186.

7. Nemoto K. Party Competition and the Electoral Rules // Pekkanen R., Reed S., Scheiner E., Smith D. (eds). … p. 181.

8. Elections in Japan: logistics, turnout, campaigns, voter patterns and hereditary seats – http://factsanddetails. com/japan/cat22/sub146/item1783.html (accessed 10.08.2019)

9. Weighing Vote Disparity in Japan’s Upper House – https://www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/a04401/weighing-votedisparity-in-japan%E2%80%99s-upper-house.html (accessed 10.08.2019)

10. Shinzo Abe secures strong mandate in Japan’s general election -https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/22/shinzo-abe-secures-strong-mandate-in-japans-general-election (accessed 10.08.2019)

11. Pekkanen R., Reed S. Japanese Politics Between 2014 and 2017: The Search for an Opposition Party in the Age of Abe // Pekkanen R., Reed S., Scheiner E., Smith D. (eds). … p. 19.

12. Tkach-Kawasaki L. POLITICS@JAPAN. Party Competition on the Internet in Japan // Party politics. 2003, vol. 9, № 1, p. 110.

13. Noble G. The Decline of Particularism in Japanese Politics // Journal of East Asian Studies, 2010, № 10, p. 259.

14. Kawashima I., Yoshito I. The instability of party identification among eligible Japanese voters // Party Politics, 1998, vol. 4, № 2, p.154.

15. Solis Mireya Japan’s consolidated democracy in an era of populist turbulence – https://www.brookings.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2019/02/FP_20190227_japan_democracy_solis.pdf, p.14 (accessed 10.08.2019)

16. Mishima K. 2019. The Presidentialization of Japan’s LDP Politics: Analyzing Its Causes, Limits, and Perils // World Affairs. Spring, p. 113.

17. Japanese political parties woo young voters with manga, social media and cosplay -https://www.japantimes.co.jp/ news/2019/07/12/national/politics-diplomacy/japanese-political-parties-woo-young-voters-manga-social-mediacosplay/#.XVFwUJMzagR (accessed 10.08.2019)

18. More women, disabled members make debut in Japanese parliament – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japanpolitics/more-women-disabled-members-make-debut-in-japanese-parliament-idUSKCN1UR3S5 (accessed 10.08.2019)

Система Orphus

Loading...
Up