What's next for Japan?
Japanese politics has been in a chaotic state for the past few years, perplexing millions of voters. The country has seen four prime ministers in the past three years, and the latest Aso
could be forced out if the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force, grabs power in the Aug. 30 election.
A victory would terminate the almost-unbroken 54-year postwar rule of the LDP. Observers say against the backdrop of this political instability is the LDP's gradual decline following the end, in the 1990s, of Japan's extended postwar economic growth.
"In a time of political instability, they don't have anything they can rely on, except for popularity as shown in media polls,"said Masao Matsumoto, a Saitama University professor and leading expert on opinion poll methodology.
"The LDP is a conservative party, which usually advocates a small-government policy. But the LDP was a catch-all party and advocated a big government and welfare-oriented state. That's the reason why the party has had wide support among voters since its establishment in 1955," he said.
But the LDP-led government won support by using pork-barrel politics funded by tax revenues that continued to rise with Japan's rapid growth after the war, Shiratori said.
The LDP's formula for success, however, lost its validity during the economic decline of the '90s as the government started whittling down the budget, Shiratori said.
"Prime Minister Koizumi has abandoned the big-government policy, prompting voters to flock to the DPJ, which now says it puts top priority on people's lives and social safety nets. In that sense, Koizumi has destroyed the LDP and its support base," Shiratori said.
All we have to do is to watch and wait.
could be forced out if the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition force, grabs power in the Aug. 30 election.
A victory would terminate the almost-unbroken 54-year postwar rule of the LDP. Observers say against the backdrop of this political instability is the LDP's gradual decline following the end, in the 1990s, of Japan's extended postwar economic growth.
"In a time of political instability, they don't have anything they can rely on, except for popularity as shown in media polls,"said Masao Matsumoto, a Saitama University professor and leading expert on opinion poll methodology.
"The LDP is a conservative party, which usually advocates a small-government policy. But the LDP was a catch-all party and advocated a big government and welfare-oriented state. That's the reason why the party has had wide support among voters since its establishment in 1955," he said.
But the LDP-led government won support by using pork-barrel politics funded by tax revenues that continued to rise with Japan's rapid growth after the war, Shiratori said.
The LDP's formula for success, however, lost its validity during the economic decline of the '90s as the government started whittling down the budget, Shiratori said.
"Prime Minister Koizumi has abandoned the big-government policy, prompting voters to flock to the DPJ, which now says it puts top priority on people's lives and social safety nets. In that sense, Koizumi has destroyed the LDP and its support base," Shiratori said.
All we have to do is to watch and wait.