I have always found it baffling why the only default question in political opinion polls in Japan is whether the voter 'supports' the current cabinet or not. Not only is the phrase vague (what on earth does it mean to support the cabinet?), but it generally always yields the same result: at the start, higher ratings ('give them a chance'), gradually or rapidly becoming lower ('yappari dame'), though there are of course rare exceptions.

British political opinion polls might well produce the same results if the voters were ever asked this question, but instead, the default question is on voting intentions: specifically, if a general election were held tomorrow, who would you vote for? This produces results which seem more varied and also more relevant than the question asked in Japan - more relevant because the question is clear and focused and also related to something entirely practical that voters will eventually get the chance to do, i.e. vote.

Currently in the UK, for instance, the Conservative party gains about 37 percent support. I suppose this would not be seen as a ringing endorsement in Japan (or the US). Nor is it. But more to the point, it happens to be higher than the support for any other party at present. Their support may not be that high, but that matters less than the fact that they are more popular than any of the alternatives.

This doesn't mean questions about support, or approval, are irrelevant - it's certainly worth knowing if the population thinks that the government is doing a good job - but they are insufficient.

Peter Cave
Lecturer in Japanese Studies
SLLC, University of Manchester