Comparing Institutional Factors That Influence Internet Campaigning in the US, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

Abstract

This chapter considers institutional factors related to the development of Internet-based election campaigns in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan as compared to the US. The chapter addresses the following questions: (1) What roles do political parties play in the process of candidate selection in the US, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan? (2) What campaign finance mechanisms do they have? (3) What regulations govern online election campaigns? The answers to these questions will provide a context for the following chapters. To sum up, institutional factors reflect and perpetuate the less advanced and slower development of Internet-based campaigning in Japan compared to the US, Taiwan, and Korea.