| ID | 078022 |
| Title Proper | Abe's Dilemma |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Ikuo, Kabashima ; Chihiro, Okawa |
| Publication | 2007. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Abe Shinzô took over as prime minister of Japan on September 26, 2006. Thanks to the support of former Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichirô and his own popularity among the public at large, Abe assumed office with a strong base after winning the Liberal Democratic Party presidency with an impressive 66% of the total vote from LDP Diet members and local party chapters. In his previous positions as chief cabinet secretary and LDP secretary general, Abe supported the reforms initiated by the Koizumi administration.
According to a public opinion poll conducted by the Asahi Shimbun (published on September 28, 2006), the newly formed Abe cabinet enjoyed an approval rating of 63%-not quite as high as Koizumi's public support on taking office, but still the third-highest approval rating on record for a Japanese prime minister. However, a more recent Asahi poll (December 12, 2006) showed his public support dropping to 47%, owing mainly to disillusionment among young voters and those with no party affiliation (independent voters). The major reasons given were the vagueness of Abe's policy positions on issues and his decision to readmit into the LDP a group of dissenters who had opposed Koizumi's postal privatization plan. |
| `In' analytical Note | Japan Echo Vol. 34, No.1; Feb 2007: p41-46 |
| Journal Source | Japan Echo Vol. 34, No.1; Feb 2007: p41-46 |
| Key Words | Japan ; Leadership Change ; Politics and Government |