The impact of constitutional referendums in Japan often depends on who proposes them rather than what they propose, according to a new survey experiment. This research explores voter preferences across diverse constitutional issues.
Japan Referendum Experiment (N=1000)
- A novel design exposing citizens to 12 distinct constitutional amendment scenarios
- Comparing ballot proposals by partisan vs non-partisan sources
Key Findings:
- Voter support increases with non-partisan proposal framing
- Ideological leanings matter: preference for expansive government correlates with idealistic constitutional views
The Political Significance:
These results highlight how citizens' underlying constitutional beliefs shape their responsiveness to both proposers and proposals in fundamental governance decisions.
