Tomoaki Ikeya

Tomoaki Ikeya is a Professor at the School of Social Sciences, Waseda University, specializing in Political Science with a focus on Comparative Politics and Italian Politics. He has been a faculty member at Waseda University since 1996, progressing from Associate Professor to full Professor in 2006. His academic career also includes a position at Takushoku University's Faculty of Political Science and Economics from 1996 to 1999. Professor Ikeya is an active member of several academic associations including the Italian Studies Association, Japanese Society of Comparative Politics, Japan Political Science Association, and Japan Association of Electoral Studies.

Professor Ikeya's educational background includes:

• Graduate studies at Waseda University Graduate School, Division of Politics

Professor Ikeya's research focuses on the intricate relationship between electoral systems and political outcomes, with particular emphasis on Italian politics. His work examines how electoral reforms impact party systems, government formation, and democratic stability. He has conducted extensive historical analysis of Italian electoral systems from the 19th century to contemporary reforms, exploring how changes in voting rules affect political representation and governance. His comparative approach extends beyond Italy to examine electoral systems in other Western democracies, with recent work focusing on the implications of multi-level electoral systems across Japan, Italy, and Germany. His scholarship demonstrates expertise in constitutional reform, direct democracy mechanisms, and the evolution of political institutions.

Analysis of Professor Ikeya's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on electoral system design and its political consequences. His work spans historical analysis of Italian electoral reforms from the 19th century through the present day, with particular attention to how constitutional changes affect party fragmentation and government stability. A significant portion of his recent research examines the 2017 Italian electoral reform and its implications for the 2018 elections, analyzing how the new system affected party competition and coalition formation. His scholarship demonstrates expertise across multiple subfields including electoral administration, constitutional design, party system evolution, and comparative institutional analysis, with particular attention to the relationship between electoral rules and political outcomes.

Professor Ikeya has held significant leadership positions in academic organizations:

• Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the Japan Political Science Association (2017-2018)
• Planning Committee Chair of the Japan Association of Electoral Studies (2006-2007)
• Visiting Researcher at the House of Representatives Constitutional Research Council Secretariat (2006)

Professor Ikeya has led numerous research projects funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, including international comparative studies on electoral systems and research on nation-state building in Italy. His current research focuses on developing theories of consensus-building democracy to overcome political divisions, examining the transition from consensus-based to majority-based democracy, and studying the relationship between direct and representative democracy. He has also conducted extensive overseas research at Sapienza University of Rome and maintains active collaborations with Italian academic institutions.