Chang of Membership in Prefectural Assembly with Changing of Electoral System during Meiji Period

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530138
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Politics
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Moribe Seiichi 広島大学, 社会(科)学研究科, 教授 (50210183)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 近代日本政治史 / 政党 / 府県会 / 名望家

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research provided the following historical facts. Firstly at first establishing Prefectural Assemblies (PAs), local renowned men were elected as members of them, but many of them were resigned in the middle of their term of services. Rate of resignation were very high, in Saitama and Aichi PA it was over two third of total members of the assembly in early Meiji period. As elections of PAs were repeated and members of PAs took part in the political parties, rate of resignation was getting lower. By around 1990, most members of PAs became to serve full term of their offices.
Secondly, the Government gradually introduced new reformed Prefectural System. This intoduced an indirect electoral voting system in which District assemblies and city assemblies elected the member of PAs. In some earlier introduced PAs, It prevented or delayed to spread the partisan local politics, butgenerally the new system did not have enough impact to stop to spread partisan politics into PAs.

Free Research Field

政治学