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October 23, 2017

[SSJ: 9983] Re: Interesting Times in Japanese Politics--Why Don`t More Young People Vote?

From: Ellis Krauss
Date: 2017/10/23

Well, the election is over and on the surface not much has changed--the LDP maintained both its individual majority and 2/3 majority with the CGP. Every party lost some seats except Edano's new Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) which with the JCP is now the main repository of Japan's "anti-militarism" culture (Berger) and anti-constitutional revision forces.


Perhaps the most important under-the-surface change this election brought that has mostly gone uncommented upon is that this is the first election in my memory where 1)constitutional revision was a main part of the LDP's platform, and debate in the election instead of being implicit.

2)there is now a very good likelihood of constitutional revision, although thanks to the CGP, only a minimal one of legtitimizing the status of the SDF and giving the government more emergency powers.


Has anyone else noticed that the party system now resembles the immediate postwar period with two conservative parties (LDP+KNT) vs. two leftist parties (CDP+JCP) along the traditional cleavage of defense, US-Alliance and constitution? Major difference is that the conservatives and pro-revision forces now have the upper hand really for the first time since 1960.

Best,

Ellis


Best regards,
Ellis
***********
Ellis S. Krauss
Professor Emeritus,
School of Global Policy and Strategy
University of California, San Diego

Approved by ssjmod at 11:15 AM