THE GOVERNMENT OF MODERN JAPAN: JAPAN'S ELECTORAL SYSTEM Reform and Factions |
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Gerald L. Curtis :: The new election system that Japan adopted in 1994 has already shown some impact on changing political behavior. Perhaps the most important consequence of the adoption of the new election system has been that it has reinforced a trend towards a weakening of political factions. The reason that political factions are weaker under the new system than they were under the old "medium-size election district" system is that it's no longer necessary for a candidate to get a faction's support to help him fight against other candidates of the same party. And so from the point of view of the faction leaders, it's no longer necessary, or there's no longer an opportunity, to support a candidate who can run against a member of another faction that that leader is opposed to. So the whole rationale for factionalism is to some extent compromised by this new election system. |
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