2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Electoral Coordination in a Multi-level Context: Analysis of Candidate Manifestos in Japanese Subnational Elections
| Project/Area Number |
20K01445
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
Hijino Ken 京都大学, 法学研究科, 教授 (90738311)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | local elections / manifestos / multilevel / second order / decentralization / party organizations |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Last year, I collected and coded senkyo koho along with basic candidate and electoral data for some 1,350 prefectural assembly candidates and some 500 gubernatorial and mayoral candidates.
The prefectural assembly dataset was analyzed for conditions in which local politicians reference national-level policy issues. The findings, published in Electoral Studies (April 2021), suggest multilevel coordination depend on partisan affiliation and distrtict magnitude. Electoral data was used to seaparately analyze the multilevel and strucutral factors shaping the 2019 Unified Local Elections in an article published in Reigonal and Federal Studies (November 2020). The findings of considerable divergence in electoral dynamics across national and prefectural elections suggest limits to multilevel coordination over salient policy areas.
These findings identify the candidate-level incentives and structural features which promote or prevent the convergence or divergence of partisan positions/framing on key policy areas across levels.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
Delayed in part due to travel restrictions caused by Covid-19 during the past year which prevented research visits to specific local governments to collect campaign data not available online (especially municipalities).
Coding of the mayoral and prefectual candidate manifestos on salient issues (such as decentralization, nuclear energy, military base policies) which require coordination with the national level government/parties is currently being undertaken.
Using the senkyo koho of select mayoral elections with other campaign disourse, I have begun qualitative analysis of how mayors frame and justify policies to repopulate municipalities as well as those that adapt to depopulation trends.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
I plan to expand dataset by adding such campaign material, along with conducting fieldwork, by visiting select municipalities once travel restrictions are lifted.
I plan to use senkyo koho of prefectural assembly along with select municipalities to analyze endorsements of local and national politicians across levels. The data will be used for a network analysis explaining the conditions which lead to multilevel electoral coordination and mapping of such endorsement-based coordination.
I plan to complete initial qualitative study of how mayors frame key issues and present at IPSA 2021. The study will then be combined with how the issues are framed at other levels of government, especially partisan actors that are affiliated to the chief executive.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Due to travel restrictions, I did not spend any of the funds for travel as planned to local govenrments for gathering campaign material and also to an overseas conference (which was delayed to this year). Once travel restrictions are lifted, I hope to conduct these research trips and attend in person overseas/domestic conferences.
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Research Products
(2 results)
