Comparative Research on Dual Representative System and Reflection of Popular Opinion at Municipalities of Japan and Western Countries

日本的地方政府，特别是作为地方政府基本单位的市町村，由于近年来的分权改革，必须承担越来越多的角色。既然如此，居民的意见如何影响地方政府，地方议会现在有什么样的职能？本研究通过比较日本、美利坚合众国、联合王国、德国和瑞士的双重代表制，探讨了地方政府中的这种机制。本研究的结果表明，在每个国家，地方议会都是居民的代表机构。

Japan's local governments, especially municipalities as basic local government units, have to fill an increasing number of roles as a result of the decentralization reform which has taken place over recent years. That being so, how have residents' opinions influenced local government, and what kind of functions does local parliament now have? This study considered such a mechanism in local government through a comparison of dual representative systems in Japan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland. The findings of this study suggest that local parliament functioned as a representative organ of residents in each country.