Japanese Journal of Electoral Studies
Online ISSN : 1884-0353
Print ISSN : 0912-3512
ISSN-L : 0912-3512
Reexamination of the “Clean-Up” Election Campaign
Koichi KOMINAMI
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2000 Volume 15 Pages 152-160,189

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Abstract
This paper reexamines how the “Clean-Up” (Shukusei) election campaign functioned in Japanese political history. The campaign in the late 1930s was not merely an official enlightenment movement to prevent electoral corruption but an all-out campaign launched nationwide by the Home Ministry and the military intending to get rid of political parties. The authorities aimed to establish a new political system which would replace “a party cabinet” to deal with a national emergency. However, the scheme was not a success. Consequently, this failure resulted in the preparation of the “Yokusan” election to establish a one-party government.
The research reveals the following points:
1, The campaign did not necessarily destroy the constituency of the political parties. However, the solid relations between voters and parties did not exist in those days.
2, The campaign neglected parliamentary government and party politics, and on the other hand it advocated the “sacredness” of elections and prevention of abstention. This contradiction caused an increasing rate of abstention.
3, To emphasize the sacredness of elections, visiting shrines and flying the national flag were forced on the people. And gradually the campaign turned into a movement affiliated with state control for unifying the Japanese.
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© Japanese Association of Electoral Studies
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