Japan's new electoral system: Has anything changed?

Asian Survey

Volumn 37, Issue 5, 1997, Pages 409-426

  Seligmann, Albert L ^a  

^a NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0040262083     PISSN: 00044687     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2307/2645518     Document Type: Article

References (8)

1. Well documented in Sato Seizaburo and Matsuzaki Tetsuhisa, Jiminto Seiken (Tokyo: Chuo Koronsha, 1986).
2. Mainichi Shimbun et al., 19 November 1994.
3. Asahi Shimbun, 30 May 1995.
4. Much of the database for analysis in this section is drawn from the excellent election reporting of the major dailies, especially Asahi Shimbun, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, and Yomiuri Shimbun, October 21 and 22, 1996. This includes detailed statistics on voting rates, origins of new Diet members, "dead votes," average ages, etc.
5. In 8 prefectures the LDP swept all seats - 32 out of 32.
6. They did not always work: none of the 20 candidates jointly supported by the DJP and Sakigake and only 1 of 16 jointly backed by the SDP and Sakigake were elected in SS districts.
7. High ranking did not necessarily help either. In the Kinki region, 42 of 44 LDP candidates on the PR list were ranked no. 1! One of the 9 elected received 50,191 votes, while one who lost received 83,254 votes.
8. By the time the budget passed the lower house on March 5, 1997, this goal had just about been reached; the vote was 267-231, meaning the LDP could probably have dispensed with the 17 votes represented by the SDP and Sakigake, even though the margin would have been a bit too close for comfort.