Question

Mr. Takeshita’s success in the Prime Ministerial quest is due to:

• A. his financial wizardry.
• B. his loyalty to his predecessor’s policies.
• C. his skill in manipulating factional politics.
• D. his good knowledge of English.

Hint:

When political leadership changes are discussed, focus on the mechanisms of power transfer (elections, alliances, bargaining) rather than just personal skills.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The passage highlights that Noboru Takeshita rose to the top position largely because of his ability to navigate the complex factional politics of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
He successfully took over most of Kakuei Tanaka’s faction after Tanaka’s disgrace, built alliances with other factions, and persuaded rivals Miyazawa and Abe to support him, eliminating the need for a party election.
Option (a) — although Takeshita was a former Finance Minister, his financial expertise is not cited as the main reason for his leadership success.
Option (b) — while he did intend to continue Nakasone’s policies, the passage makes clear that factional bargaining, not loyalty, secured his rise.
Option (d) — his English proficiency is actually questioned in the passage; he avoided speaking it in public despite once teaching it.
Thus, (c) is the correct answer.