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Between Pork and People: An Analysis of the Policy Balance in the LDP's Election Platforms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2016

Christian G. Winkler
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Abstract

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In this article I examine changes in the election manifestos of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party. While the existing literature agrees that the LDP's policy platform has changed considerably since the introduction of the new election system in the 1990s, their analysis focuses on material policies such as pork barrel and welfare. Postmaterialist policies such as environmental protection have hardly been discussed, even though they have been relevant since pollution swept progressive mayors into power in the 1960s. I examine election platforms from 1956 through 2013, and argue that the LDP has carefully adjusted its policy mix by putting a greater emphasis on postmaterialist policies. My analysis also shows that while electoral reform has had an impact on the policy balance between postmaterialist and materialist policies as well as clientelist and programmatic policies, these changes are not linear, but vary from decade to decade.

Keywords

Japanese politicsparty politicsLDPpostmaterialismCMPmanifesto research
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of East Asian Studies , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , December 2014 , pp. 405 - 428
Copyright
Copyright © East Asia Institute 

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