Understanding Ideological Semantics in Changing Contexts: A Longitudinal Analysis

Ideological labels have long been utilized as a tool of political communication and an informational shortcut between voters and political elites. At the same time as usage of terms such as left and right is extended to non-Western settings, there have been debates about the adaptability of these semantics to encapsulate new issue dimensions. The present study explores whether and how the meaning of ideological labels evolved in Japan. Building on theories of political socialization, we analyze longitudinal survey data over the span of a quarter-century to investigate 1) whether the end of the Cold War marked a fundamental shift in ordinary citizens' understanding of ideological semantics; and 2) the extent to which a generational gap has developed with respect to issues encompassed by ideological labels. By examining the case of a non-Western democracy, our study contributes to the discussion on the continued relevance of ideological heuristics.