The Reform Of Japan's House Of Representatives Electoral System (1988-1994)

The Medium-sized Electoral Districts System is unique to Japan's electoral system, Japan's House of Representatives election has been practicing this kind of electoral system from 1925 when the men achieved universal suffrage to 1994 when the Single-member Electoral Districts and Proportional Representation Electoral System was established (except for 1945 and 1946). Under the Medium-sized Electoral Districts System, factional politics was formed because of the strife between different political parties especially within a same party. Under the political system, which was trinity in control of the politics, the official and the wealth, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was long-term in power by itself, the problem of corruption was extremely serious. A series of political scandal events erupted one after another especially since 1986, the whole country did not trust politics any more. Under the national and international public opinions' huge pressure, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) started the reform of electoral system in 1988, which suffered a bargaining between the ruling and opposition parties for more than five years, the Medium-sized Electoral Districts System was replaced finally in January 1994. In the process of the establishment of the new electoral system, the pattern of Japan's political circle changed dramatically, and the establishment of the new electoral system further exacerbated the reorganization of various political forces. This paper is altogether divided into four parts to detailedly analyze the reform of Japan's House of Representatives electoral system from 1988 to 1994.The first part mainly introduces the background of Japan's House of Representatives electoral system reform from international and the domestic aspects. In the international background, it prominently elaborates the international collapse of the Cold War system and the policy change of the United States to Japan; and in the domestic background, it expounds from three aspects that are the Japanese people, the ruling and opposition parties as well as the attitude of reform in Japan's academic circles.The second part elaborates the House of Representatives electoral system reform exploration course. In Japan unique political environment, the reform of the electoral system lasted more than five years from putting it into practice to establishment of the new electoral system. Under the core political reform impetus of the young congressmen in New Party Sakigake, as well as the Tsutomu Hata - Ozawa Ichiro Group, the reform passed through three stages.The third part sets forth the main content of House of Representatives electoral system reform, including"the Public Election Law for Amendment","the Political Funds Limit Law Bill for Amendment","the Political Party Helps Bill"and"the Bill of District Dividing Review Conference in House of Representatives".The fourth part is the key part of the paper, it analyzes the reform of Japan's House of Representatives electoral system mainly from four elections after the reform, which includes two-party system, political parties, policy-based elections, factional competitions, as well as the issues of the public opinions and so on.