Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

rdf:langString Factions in the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)

rdf:langString Factions (派閥, habatsu) are an accepted part of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (自由民主党 Jiyū-Minshutō), the ruling party of Japan, which began with eight formal factions when it was first formed by merger in 1955. A political faction may be defined as a sub-group within a larger organization. While factions characterize other political parties in Pacific Asia, Japanese factionalism is distinguished by its stability and institutionalization. Although factions reconstitute themselves from time to time, the habatsu active today can be traced back to their 1955 roots, a testament to the stability and institutionalized nature of Liberal Democratic Party factions. Faction leaders offer their followers services without which the followers would find it difficult to survive politically. Leaders provide funds for the day-to-day operation of Diet members' offices and staff as well as financial support during expensive election campaigns. The operating allowances provided by the government are inadequate, even after the introduction of public funding in 1994. The leader also introduces his followers to influential bureaucrats and business people, thus helping faction members respond to their constituents' needs.