Ideology, Strategy and Party Change Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Preface
- 1 The influence of election programmes: Britain and Canada 1945–1979.
- 2 The internal analysis of election programmes.
- 3 Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States 1946–1981, an initial comparative analysis.
- 4 Canada 1945–1980: party platforms and campaign strategies.
- 5 Sri Lanka 1947–1977: elite programmes and mass politics.
- 6 Israel 1949–1981.
- 7 Ireland 1948–1981: issues, parties, strategies.
- 8 Northern Ireland 1921–1973: party manifestos and platforms.
- 9 Sweden and Denmark 1945–1982: election programmes in the Scandinavian setting.
- 10 The Netherlands 1946–1981.
- 11 Belgium 1946–1981.
- 12 Luxembourg 1945–1982: dimensions and strategies.
- 13 Austria 1945–1978.
- 14 Electoral programmes in West Germany 1949–1980: explorations in the nature of political controversy.
- 15 France 1958–1981: the strategy of joint government platforms.
- 16 Italy 1946–1979: ideological distances and party movements.
- 17 Japan 1960–1980: party programmes in elections.
- 18 Do parties differ, and how? Comparative discriminant and factor analyses.
- Appendices
- General bibliography
- Index
17 - Japan 1960–1980: party programmes in elections.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Tables
- List of Figures
- Preface
- 1 The influence of election programmes: Britain and Canada 1945–1979.
- 2 The internal analysis of election programmes.
- 3 Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States 1946–1981, an initial comparative analysis.
- 4 Canada 1945–1980: party platforms and campaign strategies.
- 5 Sri Lanka 1947–1977: elite programmes and mass politics.
- 6 Israel 1949–1981.
- 7 Ireland 1948–1981: issues, parties, strategies.
- 8 Northern Ireland 1921–1973: party manifestos and platforms.
- 9 Sweden and Denmark 1945–1982: election programmes in the Scandinavian setting.
- 10 The Netherlands 1946–1981.
- 11 Belgium 1946–1981.
- 12 Luxembourg 1945–1982: dimensions and strategies.
- 13 Austria 1945–1978.
- 14 Electoral programmes in West Germany 1949–1980: explorations in the nature of political controversy.
- 15 France 1958–1981: the strategy of joint government platforms.
- 16 Italy 1946–1979: ideological distances and party movements.
- 17 Japan 1960–1980: party programmes in elections.
- 18 Do parties differ, and how? Comparative discriminant and factor analyses.
- Appendices
- General bibliography
- Index
Summary
The purpose of this chapter is to shed new light on Japanese party politics by examining party pledges in general elections from 1960–80. First we locate our analysis in a broader substantive context. Then, on the basis of newspaper summaries of election pledges at general election times, we analyse how appeals are made to the general public by political parties, along the general lines followed elsewhere in the book.
THE PLACE OF PARTIES IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM
Given the extensive changes produced by war and occupation in the 1940s, Japanese political practices display surprising continuity. Fundamental changes have taken place however within the context of existing institutions. Thus the 1947 constitution, which replaced that of 1889, declares that sovereignty lies with the people, not the Emperor, who remains however the symbol of Japan. The Diet, the Cabinet, and the Supreme Court, respectively, hold the highest legislative, executive and judicial powers. The Diet is composed of a House of Representatives (the main arena for legislation and politics) and a House of Councillors.
Parties also display some continuity. As institutions they evolved in opposition to the absolutist government of the pre-war era and until recently were weak in comparison to the state bureaucracy. Three factors shaped the new political parties after the war.
In 1946, after all constraints on the formation of political parties had disappeared, political competition extended to left-wing parties including the Japanese Communist Party (JCP). For the first time, such parties briefly held office in coalition governments either headed by, or including Socialists.
[…]
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Ideology, Strategy and Party ChangeSpatial Analyses of Post-War Election Programmes in 19 Democracies, pp. 369 - 387Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1987
- 3
- Cited by