Useful resource on Japan's governmental system: http://www.jinjapan.org/today/gover.html
1947 constitution
- written
during military occupation
- strong
influence from General McArthur)
A. Similarities to Britain's system
1. Hereditary emperor as head of
state,
oldest dynasty in the world (from 1192)
hereditary
rules
2. Parliament (Diet) has 2 houses
House of Representatives (lower house)
before 1996:
511 members for 129 district
so some districts had up to 6-8 representatives
after 1996 reforms:
300 single member districts
200 elected by PR from 11 districts (15-25/district)
reduced to 180 before 2000 election
3. Elections must be within 4 years
4. Prime Minister, elected by majority
of lower house
But, the dominant party first selects its leader, who then is elected PM
Abe,
Sept 06
5. strong bureaucracy, highly educated (Tokyo U. Dept. of Law)
6. very centralized system (not
a federal system)
B. How is it different from Britain?
1. Japan has a written constitution
2. Supreme Court has power to interpret the constitution (as in U.S.)
3. Party System:
1955-93 Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) always had majority
(Single Party Dominant System)
1993: party disintegration, realignment, multi party system
after 2000, 2003, 2005 elections, now two party system seems consolidated
Chart of party system:
Note: LDP consolidating power because of expansion of single member districts, reduction of PR seats:
2005 election LDP vote was:
48 % of total vote
62 % of total seats
73 % of single member seats (amplification)
42% of PR seats
Parties are highly personalized and factionalized
not like the British highly disciplined party.
4. Mal-apportionment
Rural voters are over-represented by 2-4 times
Urban voters are under-represented (due rural to urban migration)
5. Very close business-government
links
-MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
-businesses give campaign contributions (money politics)
-close connections between corporations and bureaucracy
e.g.: trade protection
6. Genro
elder politicians maintain great power behind the screen