A Brief Outline of Functional Categories 　　　An examination of the "Organizational Chart of the Liberal Democratic Party" (see separate attachment) reveals that the LDP consists of a variety of different organs. To begin with, it is perhaps simplest to separate these into four basic functional categories - "Executive," "Decision-making," "Policy," and "Other" organs. Executive Organs 　　　President - The President is the head of the Party. Because Japan has a parliamentary system of government, the leader of the ruling party is selected to be the country's prime minister. With the exception of a few brief interludes in the postwar period, the LDP President has also served as prime minister. The President is the Party's highest-ranking official, its chief representative, and is responsible for overseeing its operations. However, it is important to bear in mind that because of the duty the LDP President also has to dedicate himself as prime minister to the affairs of government, it is the LDP Secretary-General who functions as the actual supervisor of Party operations. 　　　Secretary-General - The Secretary-General is appointed by the President with the approval of the General Council (explained later). His duty is to assist the President in the administration of Party affairs. As has already been mentioned, however, since the President is often occupied with running the government in his capacity as prime minister, almost all major party operations, including elections, personnel, and finances, are placed in actual practice under the Secretary-General's control. The Secretary-General may have up to seventeen Deputy Secretary-Generals to assist him and can select one of these to serve as Acting Secretary-General. 　　　In addition, there are five executive organs under the Secretary-General's direct supervision - the Election Bureau, Personnel Bureau, Treasury Bureau, Information Research Bureau, and International Bureau. Each of these has one Director-General and several Deputy Directors-General (all of whom are LDP Diet members). The Election Bureau is responsible for the Party's election strategies. The Personnel Bureau is in charge of personnel matters in the Party. The Treasury Bureau manages the Party's finances. The Information Research Bureau handles research and analysis of information collected from the mass media and individual citizens. The International Bureau serves as the Party's liaison with foreign people and organizations and coordinates its diplomatic affairs. 　　　Party Organization Headquarters - The Party Organization Headquarters functions as the Party's principal point of contact between it and LDP Diet members, regional and local assembly members affiliated with the LDP, LDP party members, and organizations with ties to the Party. It is also in charge of coordinating public speeches. These responsibilities make it something of a central control tower for the Party. Organs within the Party Organization Headquarters include the Interest Group Policy Division, the Party Organization Division, the Women's Affairs Division, the Youth Division, the Labor Administration Division, and the Public Speeches Division. Fourteen separate committees within the Interest Group Policy Division are responsible for keeping in frequent contact with different types of groups and exchanging views with them on policy and election activities. 　　　Public Relations Headquarters - The Public Relations Headquarters is the Party's main public relations organ. It is responsible for informing the public about the Party's policies, handling public relations through posters, commercials, and the editing and publication of Party newspapers and magazines. It also formulates the Party's mass media strategies. As with the Party Organization Headquarters, the Public Relations Headquarters contains a number of divisions, including the Publicity Division, Information Division, Culture and Sports Division, Publications Division, (Party) Newspaper Division, Multimedia Division, and the Photography and Video Division. 　　　Diet Affairs Committee - The Diet Affairs Committee supports the Party's activities in the Diet. It holds discussions concerning the Diet's schedule and the handling of bills in the Diet with both ruling and opposition parties. (Each of the political parties in the Diet has its own Diet Affairs Committee.) Decision-making Organs 　　　Party Convention - Decision-making organs determine the will of the Party. The Party's supreme decision-making organ is the Party Convention. Held once every year and attended by representatives from each of the country's prefectures, the Party Convention decides important matters such as the Party's "activities," "policies," and "constitutional revisions" for that particular year. An extraordinary Party Convention may also be held to deal with urgent matters such as Party Presidential elections. 　　　Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of Both Houses of the Diet - The second most important decision-making organ in the Party is the Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of Both Houses of the Diet. This organ deliberates and decides important matters concerning the administration of the Party and its activities in the Diet. In the event that an important matter requiring immediate attention arises, a session of the Joint Plenary Meeting may be held in place of a Party Convention. 　　　General Council - The General Council is the Party's principal decision-making organ for daily affairs. During sessions that are held on Tuesday and Friday of each week, the General Council deliberates and decides matters concerning the Party's administration, policies, and activities in the Diet. It is composed of 31 Members, including one Chairman, one Acting Chairman, and several Deputy Chairmen. Policy Organs 　　　Please see the separate explanation of the Party's policy-making process. Other Organs 　　　The Election Strategy Headquarters, Personnel Committee, Finance Committee, Central Institute of Politics, and Party Constitution Article 79 Organs are all under the direct control of the Party President. The Central Institute of Politics provides opportunities for both Party members and non-members to study the Party's policies and principles. 　　　Finally, the Party Ethics Committee is responsible for enforcing Party rules and maintaining discipline within the Party.

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