Leena Watts
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is used historically for deliberative assemblies such as the German Imperial Diet, as well as a designation for modern-day legislative bodies of certain countries and states such as the National Diet of Japan. The Japanese Diet has two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Members of the Diet are called councillors, representatives, legislators, and lawmakers in various English publications and media.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | A formal deliberative assembly; the legislative body of Japan |
| Other Names | National Diet of Japan, Imperial Diet |
| Number of Houses | 2 |
| House Names | House of Representatives (lower house), House of Councillors (upper house) |
| Number of Members in Each House | 467, 250 |
| Term Length | 4 years (lower house), 6 years (upper house) |
| Voting System | Parallel voting system (mixed-member majoritarian) |
| Voter Age Requirement | 18 years |
| Member Requirements | 25 years or older (lower house), 30 years or older (upper house), Japanese national |
| Member Salary | ¥1.3 million a month |
| Member Benefits | 3 secretaries, free Shinkansen tickets, 4 round-trip airplane tickets a month |
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What You'll Learn
Diet member responsibilities
In politics, a "diet" is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is used historically for assemblies such as the German Imperial Diet, as well as a designation for modern-day legislative bodies of certain countries and states, such as the National Diet of Japan. The National Diet is the country's highest organ of state power and sole law-making organ.
The responsibilities of the National Diet of Japan include the making of laws, the approval of the annual national budget submitted by the government, and the ratification of treaties. The Diet also has the power to impeach judges convicted of criminal or irregular conduct. The Diet's members are paid about ¥1.3 million a month in salary, and each lawmaker is entitled to three secretaries, free Shinkansen tickets, and four round-trip plane tickets a month to travel to and from their home districts.
The Diet's members are elected under a parallel voting system, meaning that the seats to be filled in any given election are divided into two groups, each elected by a different method. Voters are asked to cast two votes: one for an individual candidate in a constituency and one for a party list. The House of Representatives is the more powerful chamber of the Diet, with 467 members elected from 118 electoral districts. Each district has between three and five representatives, but each voter casts only one ballot, and the candidates with the highest number of votes are elected. Members of the House of Representatives serve for four years, but the house can be dissolved at any time by the government, in which case elections must be held within 40 days.
The House of Councillors, the other chamber of the Diet, has 250 members, 100 of whom are elected from the nation at large, with the remaining 152 elected as prefectural representatives. Members of the House of Councillors serve for six years, with half of the members standing for election every three years. The House of Councillors cannot be dissolved in case of conflict with the executive branch, and it has very limited power to prevent the lower house from selecting a Prime Minister.
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Diet member salaries and benefits
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is used historically for assemblies such as the German Imperial Diet, which was the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire. It is also used to refer to modern-day legislative bodies of certain countries and states, such as the National Diet of Japan, which is the country's legislative body, or the German Bundestag, the Federal Diet. The term may be derived from the Medieval Latin "dieta", meaning both "parliamentary assembly" and "daily food allowance".
The National Diet of Japan is composed of two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Members of the Diet are known by various names in English, including councilors, representatives, legislators, and lawmakers. Diet members are paid about ¥1.3 million a month in salary, according to Article 49 of Japan's Constitution. Each lawmaker is entitled to three secretaries, whose salaries are paid for with taxpayer funds. Diet members also receive free Shinkansen tickets and four round-trip airplane tickets a month to enable them to travel back and forth to their home districts.
The House of Representatives is the more powerful chamber of the Diet. It can overrule the House of Councillors under certain circumstances, such as when a bill is adopted by the House of Representatives but then rejected, amended, or not approved by the House of Councillors within 60 days. In this case, the bill will become law if it is again adopted by the House of Representatives by a majority of at least two-thirds of members present. The House of Representatives also has the power to pass a motion of no confidence in the government, which can result in the dissolution of the government and the calling of new elections.
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Diet member elections
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is used historically for deliberative assemblies such as the German Imperial Diet, as well as a designation for modern-day legislative bodies of certain countries and states such as the National Diet of Japan, the country's legislative body. The term might be derived from Medieval Latin dieta, meaning both "parliamentary assembly" and "daily food allowance". The National Diet of Japan is made up of two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.
The election of Diet members is controlled by statutes passed by the Diet. The Constitution of Japan does not specify the number of members of each house of the Diet, the voting system, or the qualifications of those who may vote or stand in parliamentary elections, allowing these things to be determined by law. Voters are asked to cast two votes: one for an individual candidate in a constituency, and one for a party list. Any Japanese national aged 18 or over may vote in these elections.
The House of Representatives has 467 members elected from 118 electoral districts. Each district has between three and five representatives, but each voter casts only one ballot, with the candidates receiving the highest number of votes being elected. Lower-house members are elected for a term of four years, but the house can be dissolved at any time by the government, in which case elections must be held within 40 days. Candidates for the lower house must be 25 years old or older and 30 years or older for the upper house.
The House of Councillors has a membership of 250 consisting of two categories: 100 councillors elected from the nation at large with the remaining 152 elected as prefectural representatives. Each voter may cast a ballot for one candidate in each category, giving them a total of two votes. The members of the House of Councillors serve for six years, with half of the members standing for election every three years. The House of Councillors cannot be dissolved in case of conflict with the executive branch.
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Diet member bills
In politics, a "diet" is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is used historically for assemblies such as the German Imperial Diet, as well as a designation for modern-day legislative bodies of certain countries and states, such as the National Diet of Japan, the country's legislative body. The National Diet is considered the "highest organ of State power" and the "sole law-making organ of the State".
The National Diet of Japan is composed of two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The House of Representatives is the more powerful chamber of the Diet. While the House of Representatives cannot usually overrule the House of Councillors on a bill, the House of Councillors can only delay the adoption of a budget or a treaty that has been approved by the House of Representatives. The House of Councillors has almost no power at all to prevent the lower house from selecting any Prime Minister it wishes. The House of Representatives can overrule the upper house if a bill is adopted by the House of Representatives and then either rejected, amended or not approved within 60 days by the House of Councillors. In this case, the bill will become law if it is again adopted by the House of Representatives by a majority of at least two-thirds of members present.
The House of Representatives has 467 members elected from 118 electoral districts. Each district has between three to five representatives, but each voter casts only one ballot, with the candidates receiving the highest number of votes being elected. Lower-house members are elected for a term of four years, but the house can be dissolved at any time by the government, in which case elections must be held within 40 days. An individual member's bill can be introduced in the lower house if it has been signed by 20 or more members, and in the upper house with the signature of 10 or more members.
Members of the Diet are called councillors, representatives, legislators, and lawmakers in various English publications and media.
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Diet member committees
In politics, a "diet" is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is used historically for assemblies such as the German Imperial Diet, and as a designation for modern-day legislative bodies of certain countries and states, such as the National Diet of Japan. The National Diet is Japan's legislative body, and its members are called councillors, representatives, legislators, and lawmakers.
The National Diet of Japan is composed of two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The House of Representatives is the more powerful chamber of the Diet. The House of Councillors takes the place of the old House of Peers and has a membership of 250, consisting of two categories: 100 councillors elected nationally, and 152 elected as prefectural representatives. Each voter may cast a ballot for one candidate in each category, giving them a total of two votes. The members of the House of Councillors serve for six years, with half of the members standing for election every three years.
The House of Representatives has 467 members elected from 118 electoral districts. Each district has between three and five representatives, but each voter only casts one ballot, with the candidates receiving the highest number of votes being elected. Lower-house members are elected for a term of four years, but the house can be dissolved at any time by the government, in which case elections must be held within 40 days.
Each house has more than 20 standing committees dealing with subjects such as foreign affairs, finance, and education. Government legislation first goes to the appropriate committee, where it is examined and often vigorously debated. Membership on these committees is determined by the Diet in rough accordance with the party ratios in each house. A member normally retains their assignments as long as they sit in the Diet.
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Frequently asked questions
A "diet member" is a member of a formal deliberative assembly, historically used to refer to members of the German Imperial Diet or the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, it is used to refer to members of the National Diet of Japan, also known as the country's legislature.
Diet members are also referred to as councillors, representatives, legislators, and lawmakers.
The responsibilities of the National Diet include making laws, approving the annual national budget, and ratifying treaties.
The National Diet has two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. Voters are asked to cast two votes: one for an individual candidate in their constituency and one for a party list.
Diet members are paid about ¥1.3 million a month in salary. Each lawmaker is entitled to three secretaries, free Shinkansen tickets, and four round-trip airplane tickets a month for travel to and from their home districts.
