Internet Election Campaigns in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

Abstract

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Digital Campaigning and Political Finance in the Asia and the Pacific Region: A New Age for an Old Problem

“…While changes have occurred since 2013, it is difficult to say that digital campaigning has transformed Japanese elections. Some studies have found that Japanese citizens who actively engage with digital campaigns are more likely to turn out to vote, report greater political efficacy and have more positive feelings towards politicians (Kiyohara, Maeshima and Owen 2018;Kobayashi and Ichifuji 2015). However, the challenge is that many politicians and voters, especially those who are older, are still hesitant to engage in politics online.…”

“…While there are certainly examples of politicians who are active online, such as the previously mentioned Kono, many continue to prefer traditional styles of campaigning and worry that expanding their Internet activities will only open them up to greater harassment (Wilson 2014). Japanese voters also have a relatively high level of trust in traditional media and news organizations but are relatively less likely to interact with news on social media, which makes it difficult for politicians to mobilize voters online (Kiyohara, Maeshima and Owen 2018).…”

“…However, the new law does still have some restrictions in place. For example, while parties, candidates, voters and third-party groups can all now participate in digital campaigning, only parties and candidates can send emails asking for support and contact information from voters, only parties can use paid Internet advertising such as banner advertisements, and no one can solicit votes (whether online or offline) outside of the official campaign period(Kiyohara, Maeshima and Owen 2018).Oversight of political finance regulations and digital campaigning remains the responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication. Compliance appears to be high, in part because penalties for disobeying the law are severe, including the possibility of fines, disqualification and even imprisonment.…”