Comment on Japan's Takaichi dissolves parliament after only 3 months in office, setting up snap election

standarduser@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• 9point6@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  We had a bit of it in the UK over recent years. Generally it’s for two reasons.

  Firstly, and most commonly: it’s because a leader is polling particularly well compared to the previous election and it’s a gambit to go for a greater share of power

  Secondly, the situation where a new leader has succeeded the previous one without election and wants to gain legitimacy by winning an election

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  • standarduser@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    ah! Thank you for helping me understand. 

    So is this a parliamentary only thing or are there equivalents for general assemblies or American congress?

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    • swelter_spark@reddthat.com ⁨17⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      There is no equivalent I can think of in the American congress.

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    • 9point6@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      You’ll have to wait for an American to chime in on that, I’m afraid

      I can’t remember anything similar off the top of my head, but I don’t know much in any real detail about American politics beyond recent history and some of the broad strokes before that.

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    • skribe@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      The yanks have fixed terms, so likely not.

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• skribe@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  It’s common where the executive (usually the prime minister) can choose to dissolve parliament and hold an election. There are usually time limits and conditions associated with that power, but the PM will generally choose a time that is most favourable. Otherwise, they can run the risk of being forced to hold an election at an inopportune time and risk losing.

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