Skip to main content

Electoral Reform and Factional Politics in Italy and Japan

  • Chapter
A Natural Experiment on Electoral Law Reform

Part of the book series: Studies in Public Choice ((SIPC,volume 24))

Abstract

Italy and Japan have often been compared on the basis of the fact that they both had a highly factionalized dominant party that maintained control of national government for long periods of time. While the Italian Christian Democratic Party (DC) was typically the dominant party in multiparty coalitions, in Japan the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was able to form single-party majority governments (Scheiner 2006).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Baccetti, Carlo. 2007. I post-democristiani. Bologna, Italy: Il Mulino.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bettcher, Kim Eric. 2005. Factions of interest in Japan and Italy: the organizational and motivational dimensions of factionalism. Party Politics 11(3): 339–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boissou, Jean Marie. 2001. Party factions and the politics of coalition: Japanese politics under the “system of 1955.” Electoral Studies 20: 581–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boucek, Francoise. 2003. Factional vetoes and intra-party dilemmas under different electoral regimes: comparing Italy’s Christian Democrats and Japan’s Liberal Democrats. Paper presented at the ECPR Conference, Marburg, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boucek, Francoise. 2005. Why does party dominance end in factionalism and what are the implications for democracy? Paper presented at the ECPR Conference, Budapest, Hungary.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, Gary W., and Frances Rosenbluth. 1993. The electoral fortunes of legislative factions in Japan. American Political Science Review 87(3): 577–589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, Gary W., Frances M. Rosenbluth, and Michael F. Thies. 1999. Electoral reform and the fate of factions: the case of Japan’s liberal democratic party. British Journal of Political Science 29: 33–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, Gary W., Frances M. Rosenbluth, and Michael F. Thies. 2000. Electoral rules, career ambitions, and party structure: comparing factions in Japan’s upper and lower houses. American Journal of Political Science 44(1): 115–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giannetti, Daniela, and Elisabetta De Giorgi. 2006. The 2006 Italian general elections: issues, dimensions and policy positions of political parties. Journal of Modern Italian Studies 11(4): 494–515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giannetti, Daniela, and Michael Laver. 2001. Party system dynamics and the making and breaking of Italian governments. Electoral Studies 20(1): 529–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kato, Junko, and Yuto Kannon. 2008. Coalition governments, party switching, and the rise and decline of parties: changing Japanese party politics since 1993. Japanese Journal of Political Science 9(3): 341–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kato, Junko, and Carol Mershon. 2006. Internal party organization in the Italian Christian Democrats and Japanese Liberal Democrats: factional competition for office, clienteles, and corrupt exchange. In Junichi Kawata (ed.), Comparing political corruption and clientelism. Hampshire, UK: Ashgate, pp. 77–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, Richard S. 1985. Preference voting in Italy: votes of opinion, belonging, or exchange. Comparative Political Studies 18(2): 229–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohno, Masaru. 1992. Rational foundations for the organization of the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan. World Politics 44(3): 369–397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laver, M. (ed.). 2001. Estimating the policy position of political actors. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laver, Michael, and Kenneth Benoit. 2006. Party policy in modern democracies. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laver, M., and N. Schofield. 1990. Multiparty government. The politics of coalition in Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCubbins, Mathew D., and Michael F. Thies. 1997. As a matter of factions: the budgetary implications of shifting factional control in Japan’s LDP. Legislative Studies Quarterly 22(3): 293–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mershon, Carol. 2001. Party factions and coalition government: portfolio allocation in Italian Christian Democracy. Electoral Studies 20: 555–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sartori, Giovanni. 1976. Parties and party systems: a framework for analysis, Vol. 1. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato, S., and T. Matsuzaki, 1986. Jimintô seiken. Tokyo: Chûôkôronsha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheiner, Ethan. 2006. Democracy without competition in Japan: opposition failure in a one-party dominant state. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Giannetti .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Appendix

Appendix

Members of the Italian Christian Democratic (DC) party National Executive Committee (NEC) in 1989/1992 and their political roles in 1994 and 2002

Name

DC faction (1989/1992)

Role (1989/1992)

Offices in government

Legislatures I–XIVa

Party (1994)

Role (1994)

Party (2002)

Role (2002)

Bianco G.

Sinistra (Left)

1

M 1990–1991

V–XI, XIV

PPI

3: 1995–1997

DL

1

Bodrato G.

Sinistra (Left)

1

M 1981–1983, 1991–1992

V–XI

PPI

1

  

Cabras P.

Sinistra (Left)

1

 

VI–XI

CS

 

DS

 

Castagnetti P.

Sinistra (Left)

1

X, XIV

PPI

1, 3: 1999–2001

DL

1

De Mita C.

Sinistra (Left)

2

PM 1988–1989

IV–XI, XIII, XIV

PPI

1

DL

1

Elia L.

Sinistra (Left)

1

M 1993–1994

X, XII, XIII

PPI

1

DL

 

Gargani G.

Sinistra (Left)

1

JM 1979–1984

VI–XI

PPI

 

FI

 

Goria G.

Sinistra (Left)

1

M 1982–1987, 1991–1992; PM 1987–1988

VII–XI

1994b

   

Granelli L.

Sinistra (Left)

1

M 1983–1988

V–XI

PPI

 

1999b

 

Gullotti A.

Sinistra (Left)

1

M 1972–1979, 1986–1987

III–X

1989b

   

Ladu S.

Sinistra (Left)

1

JM 1996–1998

XI–XIV

PPI

1

DL

1

Sanza A. M.

Sinistra Left)

1

JM 1978–1983, 1987–1989

VI–XIV

PPI

 

FI

 

Tabacci B.

Sinistra (Left)

1

XI, XIV

PPI

 

UDC

 

Cursi C.

Fanfaniani

1

JM 1992–1993

X, XI, XIV

AN

 

Bonsignore V.

Andreottiani

1

JM 1992–1993

X, XI

CCD

 

UDC

 

Cazzaniga S.

Andreottiani

1

 

CCD

   

Evangelisti F.

Andreottiani

1

JM 1969–1976; M 1979–1980

IV–X

1993b

   

Lima S.

Andreottiani

1

JM 1974–1976

V–VII

1992b

   

Sbardella V.

Andreottiani

1

 

X, XI

1994b

   

Abis L.

Azione Popolare

1

JM 1974–1981; M 1981–1983

VI–XI

cRet

   

Bernini C.

Azione Popolare

1

M 1989–1992

cRet

   

Casini P. F.

Azione Popolare

1

IX–XIV

CCD

3: 1995–2001

UDC

 

Cuminetti S.

Azione Popolare

1

JM 1979–1980

VI–X

Retc

   

D’Andrea G.

Azione Popolare

1

JM 2000–2001

XI, XIV

PPI

1

DL

1

Forlani A.

Azione Popolare

3

M 1968–1969, 1974–1979; PM 1980–1981; vice PM 1983–1987

III–XI

Retc

   

Gava A.

Azione Popolare

1

M 1980–1981, 1983–1991

VI–XI

Retc

   

Lega S.

Azione Popolare

1

Member of the European Parliament (MEP)1979–1984

 

CCD

   

Malfatti F. M.

Azione Popolare

1

M 1969–1970, 1973–1979

III–X

1991b

   

Mongini R.

Azione Popolare

1

 

CCD

 

UDC

 

Natali L.

Azione Popolare

1

JM 1955–1964; M 1966–1973

I–VII

1989b

   

Scotti V.

Azione Popolare

1

JM 1976–1978; M 1978–1982, 1990–1992

V–XI

 

FI

 

Zampieri A.

Azione Popolare

1

 

IX–XI

Retc

   

Fontana S.

Forze Nuove

1

M 1992–1993

CCD

 

UDC

 

Leccisi P.

Forze Nuove

1

JM 1982–1983

VII–XI

CCD

 

UDC

 
  1. Sources: Affiliation of DC elite members is based on Baccetti (2007) and biographical information collected by the author.
  2. Role in the party (1989/1992, 1994, 2002): (1) NEC member, (2) party president, (3) party secretary
  3. In the offices in government column: M denotes a minister, JM a junior minister, and PM the prime minister
  4. a1948–1996
  5. bPolitician died in this year
  6. cPolitician retired

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Giannetti, D., Thies, M.F. (2011). Electoral Reform and Factional Politics in Italy and Japan. In: Giannetti, D., Grofman, B. (eds) A Natural Experiment on Electoral Law Reform. Studies in Public Choice, vol 24. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7228-6_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics