Reviews:

"Daniel Smith's Dynasties and Democracy is a triumph of expositional clarity and measurement. It is hard to think of a sharper evaluation of the effects of political institutions on the quality and nature of democratic competition." —Frances McCall Rosenbluth, Yale University

"Smith's book on dynastic politicians in Japan is a gem. He firmly and usefully places Japan into the comparative context through extensive presentation and analysis of data in other countries. His analysis will become the standard explanation for dynastic politicians in Japan. The prolific anecdotes and illustrations will also make this book appealing in classrooms." —Robert J. Pekkanen, University of Washington

"As E. E. Schattschneider put it, 'he who can make the nominations is the owner of the party.' Dynasties and Democracy investigates parties in which such 'ownership' is effectively inheritable, giving rise to political family dynasties. It provides both a fascinating comparative study of nominations and the most compelling analysis to date of democratic dynasties." —Gary W. Cox, Stanford University

"Dynasties and Democracy is destined to be on the syllabi of Japanese politics courses for many years to come, and indeed it should also be required reading for all students of electoral politics. Smith lays out his sophisticated theoretical project with ease while helping us see the people and institutions that populate the world of Japanese politics. Dynasties and Democracy is political science at its very best, and Smith one of the field's sharpest voices." —Sheila Smith, Journal of Asian Studies

"I have long waited for an analysis of this puzzling phenomenon, and Smith analyzes the problem both comprehensively and persuasively." —Ray Christensen, Party Politics

"Daniel Smith, in one of the most fully researched studies of Japanese politics to appear in recent years, combines close scrutiny of such Japanese "dynasties" with international comparison... this book should be recommended as a powerful study of dynastic politics in Japan and a valuable contribution to the understanding of political dynasties more generally. It should be on any reading list in courses on Japanese politics and comparative courses on parliamentary democracy." —Arthur Stockwin, The Journal of Japanese Studies

"Smith's book can be credited with taking a markedly different approach to the topic of second-generation Diet members....[T]his book deserves to be seen as an outstanding work of scholarship." —Satoshi Machidori, Social Science Japan Journal

"This deep dive into the phenomenon of democratic electoral dynasties is a valuable contribution to the comparative politics literature, not the least because the author makes good use of comparable findings from the Philippines and established democracies beyond Asia, such as the US, Ireland, and Israel. The puzzle presented by the high rate of such dynasties in the Japanese Diet by comparison with other liberal democracies and their implications for governing tie together the book's narrative and empirical findings…Recommended." —J.C. Hickman, Choice

"Finding the right balance between a deep understanding of a given context and a broader perspective on political phenomena is difficult. There is no doubt that Daniel M. Smith succeeds in his book… This is part of a much broader comparative endeavour that has the potential to reinvent the study of institutionalized political actors. Some scholars are better than others at maximizing the output from such data and Smith is among the best." —Marc André Bodet, Cahiers d’Études africaines

"Daniel Smith demonstrates that political institutions, especially electoral systems and candidate selection procedures, influence the dominance of political dynasties in Japan, thereby countering the view that the dominance is merely a reflection of Japan's indigenous traditions and culture....Smith tests the fascinating hypothesis persuasively by using extensive data and sophisticated methods and paints a vivid picture of the reality of Japanese politics." —Yosuke Sunahara, Japanese Journal of Political Science

"Utilizing mixed methods and exploring multiple dimensions of the subject, Smith successfully lays out a comprehensive and in-depth study of democratic dynasties…In addition, as Smith rightly claims, this study provides developing democracies with a number of important implications for fair representation, gender equality, and effective designing of party/electoral systems. Thus, the findings of this book are valuable not just for those who study Japanese politics but also for those who are interested in politics in other areas as well." —Hironori Sasada, Japanese Studies 

"The vastness of the Japan data, the features of the country's history, and Smith's mastery of Japanese politics allow the author to examine specific hypotheses of his theoretical framework using a wide variety of empirical methods." —Carlos Velasco Rivera, Political Science Quarterly

"Clearly, this book is important not only for those with an interest in East Asia, but for everyone seeking to understand political dynasties in the world. This book offers a wealth of hypotheses and information for scholars interested in explaining the continued success of dynastic politicians to take to the test in their country of interest. It opens up a wide research agenda for future empirical and theoretical work on understanding dynastic prevalence." —Brenda van Coppenolle, Journal of East Asian Studies

"Smith's book is required reading for anyone interested in democratic politics more broadly and in the puzzle of political dynasties in democracies." —Matthew Carlson, Perspectives on Politics

"Dynasties and Democracy gives a valuable and detailed look into the puzzling phenomenon of legacy politics in Japan while placing Japan's experience in comparative context. It is a data-rich, thoroughly researched, and accessibly written book....An invaluable resource for scholars of Japanese and comparative electoral and party politics." —Mary Alice Haddad, Monumenta Nipponica

Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. Also available on Amazon.

Reviews:

"The editors have skillfully brought together leading experts from across Japanese politics to analyze features of the election and politics and presented this in a highly accessible way. ...I would highly recommend this book to experts and students alike. This new volume, and the whole series, is fast becoming central to the study of Japanese elections." —Gill Steel, Japanese Journal of Political Science 

"[Japan Decides 2017] is a boon for research and teaching, but should also prove useful for foreign policy professionals and political risk consultants. Indeed, anyone with an interest in Japanese politics would benefit from reading the invaluable Japan Decides 2017 and its companion volumes." —Gregory W. Noble, Pacific Affairs

"Japan Decides 2017... is a comprehensive and very informative account of Abe’s third House of Representatives landslide win in a row and explains why he has become the most successful Japanese prime minister in such terms of winning elections and length of time he served in that office in the post-war era." —Ronald J. Hrebenar, Party Politics