As the official July 4 start of the Upper House election campaign nears, political parties are preparing to step up their activities geared to the election. The big problem with Japan's recent elections has been low voter turnout.
Political parties have the great responsibility of rousing people's interest in politics by presenting in-depth analyses of Japan's current political and economic issues and explaining their election promises in a clear-cut and rational way. Mass media also can play an important role in increasing people's interest in elections.
Political parties and voters should realize that a low voter turnout deprives elected politicians of their legitimacy in the minds of many voters, undermining the foundation of representative democracy.
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