The Impact of Changing the Electoral System on the Party System in Japan

Abstract

The electoral system plays a major role in changing the prevailing party system. Despite the multiplicity of political parties in Japan and their participation in elections since 1958, the electoral system (single non-transferable vote) led to the dominance of the Liberal Democratic Party and its formation of the government alone until 1993. In the first government not headed by the Liberal Party, the government and its supporting parliamentary coalition quickly changed the electoral system to the parallel electoral system to block the Liberal Party’s return to dominance.

Despite this, changing the electoral system to the parallel electoral system did not largely end the control of the Liberal Democratic Party, because this system creates a kind of balance between large and small parties. The Liberal Democratic Party formed the government, but through coalitions with other political parties.