Family Feud, or Realpolitik?

Opposition Parties, Breakups and Realignments in Contemporary Japan

Authors

  • Fernando Ursine Braga Silva Hokkaido University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.49.4

Keywords:

Democratic Party of Japan, Electoral Reform, Factionalism, Japan, Political Realignment

Abstract

In this contribution, I use the breakup just short of the 2017 General Election of Japan’s former second biggest political party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), as a case study so as to assess the practical implications of splits and realignments in the most relevant party split in Japan since the DPJ was ousted from government in 2012. First, I examine DPJ’s origin as an umbrella for ideologically diverse groups that opposed the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) – the government party in Japan throughout most of its post-war history, its tendency to factionalism, and the oftentimes damaging role the factional dynamics played in the party’s decision-making process throughout the years. In the case study, it is understood that the creation of the Party of Hope – a split from the LDP, and the salience of constitutional issues were exogenous factors particular to that election, which helped causing the DPJ split.

Author Biography

Fernando Ursine Braga Silva, Hokkaido University

Fernando Ursine Braga Silva is a Master’s student at the Public Policy School, Hokkaido University. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Law at the State University of Montes Claros in 2016 and his Bachelor’s degree in Japanese Studies at Hokkaido University in 2021. His interests include comparative politics, Brazilian political history, Japanese contemporary politics, nationalism, and propaganda.

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Published

2021-06-30

How to Cite

Braga Silva, F. U. (2021). Family Feud, or Realpolitik? Opposition Parties, Breakups and Realignments in Contemporary Japan. Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science, 49, 71–89. https://doi.org/10.22151/politikon.49.4

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