Prof. Yukio Maeda, political scientist at the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, will visit the IN-EAST and deliver a talk on how approval ratings in public opinion polls have become a crucial power resource for prime ministers in contemporary Japanese politics.
Prof. Maeda will also provide a brief overview over the changes in the role of prime ministers and illustrate how advancements in polling methodology and the increased frequency of polls have further intensified prime ministers' dependence on their approval ratings.
With the next general election just around the corner, the talk will also deal with the most recent results of public opinion polls, including attitudes toward the undocumented political funds of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
