Strategic Use of Early Elections in Japan : Comparison of the Koizumi and Abe Cabinets

The aim of this article is to analyze political objectives and repercussions of the dissolutions of the House of Representatives by Prime Ministers Koizumi Jun’ichirō in 2005 and Abe Shinzō in 2014. In both cases dissolutions took place less than two years after the previous elections. The paper argues that the strengthened power of the heads of government after electoral and administrative reforms facilitated them to take advantage of Diet dissolution to overcome opposition by veto players. By appealing to the public Koizumi planned to privatize the Japan Post and Abe intended to postpone the consumption tax hike. In both cases the prime ministers used early elections to enhance their position in the ruling party. As a result, Koizumi managed to overcome pressure from postal employees and Abe gained leverage over Ministry of Finance (MOF) bureaucrats.

STRATEGICZNE UŻYCIE PRZEDTERMINOWYCH WYBORÓW W JAPONII: PORÓWNANIE GABINETÓW KOIZUMIEGO I ABE

Celem niniejszego artykułu jest analiza politycznych celów i następstw rozwiązania parlamentu przez premierów Koizumiego Jun’ichirō w 2005 roku i Abe Shinzō w 2014 roku. W obu przypadkach rozwiązanie Izby Reprezentantów miało miejsce mniej niż dwa lata po poprzednich wyborach. Artykuł opisuje, na ile zwiększone uprawnienia szefów rządu po reformach systemu wyborczego i administracyjnej ułatwiły im skorzystanie z możliwości rozwiązania parlamentu w celu przezwyciężenia sprzeciwu graczy weto. Apelując do elektoratu, Koizumi planował sprywatyzować Pocztę Japońską, zaś Abe przełożyć podwyżkę podatku konsumpcyjnego. W obu przypadkach premierzy posłużyli się przedterminowymi wyborami do parlamentu w celu wzmocnienia własnej pozycji w partii rządzącej. W rezultacie Koizumi zdołał przezwyciężyć naciski ze strony pracowników poczty, zaś Abe uzyskał lepszy wpływ na biurokratów z Ministerstwa Finansów.

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