Political Parties—I

Political parties in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes serve an altogether different purpose. They function as a mechanism for the ruling elite to impose its will, with the public having little control over the membership or operation of these parties. The immediate circumstances leading to union between the Liberal and Democratic parties included concern on the part of the business community for good relations with Washington, the challenge posed by the Japan Socialist Party (JSP), and intensifying demands from labor. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) divided into factions immediately on its formation in 1955. The importance of factions within the party and in politics in general contrasts with the fact that they have generally been viewed negatively by the public. The mainstream of major Japanese political parties, in which the LDP squarely fits, has been in the moderate to conservative range of the political spectrum.