ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses evaluation of the degree of standardization of campaign practices in East and Southeast Asia. In general, several country specific factors influence the standardization process. These factors include the electoral system, the system of party competition, the legal boundaries of electoral campaign practices, the degree of professionalization of electoral campaigning, the media system, the national political culture, and the degree of modernization in society. Electoral systems have a tremendous impact on electoral campaign strategies. In Taiwan, individuals, political parties and organizations are prohibited from releasing opinion polls ten days before election day. In Asian elections, the effectiveness of the Internet as a campaign tool varies from country to country. In Japanese elections, the Internet is banned during the election campaign period. This ban derives from the Public Official Election Law. Support organizations that used the Internet to boost the popularity of politicians emerged at the end of the 1990s.
