Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Despite its democratic structure, Japan's government has been dominated by a single party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) since 1955. This book offers an explanation for why, even in the face of great dissatisfaction with the LDP, no opposition party has been able to offer itself as a credible challenger in Japan. Understanding such failure is important for many reasons, from its effect on Japanese economic policy to its implications for what facilitates democratic responsiveness more broadly. The principal explanations for opposition failure in Japan focus on the country's culture and electoral system. This book offers a new interpretation, arguing that a far more plausible explanation rests on the predominance in Japan of clientelism, combined with a centralized government structure and electoral protection for groups that benefit from clientelism. While the central case in the book is Japan, the analysis is also comparative and applies the framework cross-nationally.

Democracy --- Political parties --- Patronage, Political --- Patron and client --- Démocratie --- Partis politiques --- Favoritisme --- Patron et client --- Jiyu Minshuto. --- Japan --- Japon --- Politics and government --- Politique et gouvernement --- J4655 --- J4610 --- -Jiyū Minshutō --- -Patronage, Political --- -Patron and client --- -Japan --- -Clientela --- Clientelism --- Patronage, Roman --- Political patronage --- Spoils system --- Civil service reform --- Parties, Political --- Party systems, Political --- Political party systems --- Political science --- Divided government --- Intra-party disagreements (Political parties) --- Political conventions --- Self-government --- Equality --- Representative government and representation --- Republics --- Japan: Politics and law -- central government -- political parties --- Japan: Politics and law -- theory, methodology and philosophy --- -J4655 --- -Japan: Politics and law -- central government -- political parties --- -Democracy --- Démocratie --- Jiyū Minshutō. --- Clientela --- Jimintō (Japan) --- Jiyūminshutō (Japan) --- Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) --- Liberalʹno-demokraticheskai︠a︡ partii︠a︡ I︠A︡ponii --- Liberalʹno-demokraticheskai︠a︡ partii︠a︡ (Japan) --- LDP --- Tzu yu min chu tang (Japan) --- 自由民主党 --- 自由民主黨 --- Partido Liberal Demócrata (Japan) --- PLD --- Jiyūtō (1950-1955) --- Nihon Minshutō --- Social Sciences --- Political Science --- Dominant-party systems. --- One-party dominant systems --- Clientelism, Political --- Patron-client politics --- Political clientelism --- Political sociology