Abstract
Since the formation of the Koizumi Government, the system of the direct election of the prime minister has attracted a great deal of public attention. Those who argue in favor of this system emphasize the necessity of strengthening the leadership of the prime minister. The widespread distrust of political parties seems to underlie the call for strong leadership through direct election.
This system, however, requires careful consideration. French constitutional theories and practices of the semi-presidential system indicate the importance of a party system that exerts a great influence on the relation between the leader and the parliamentary majority.
The introduction of this system into Japan is a problematic matter. The direct election of the political leader may be accompanied by populism and the institutionalization of pork-barrel politics. How about the Westminster model? The two-party system, which enables de facto direct election of the prime minister in the U. K., seems to be unsuitable for Japan. It is not the establishment of leadership, but the reconstruction of the party system that is important.
