On 1 June 1927 (Showa 2), the Kenseikai (Constitutional Government Association) and Seiyu Honto merged to form the Rikken Minseito, with HAMAGUCHI Osachi chosen as the first president. When the 54th Diet convened, the Rikken Minseito had more seats in the House of Representatives than the ruling party, the Seiyukai (Association of Friends of Constitutional Government), so the House of Representatives was dissolved by the TANAKA Cabinet on 21 January 1928 (Showa 3). Prior to Japan's first universal manhood suffrage, scheduled on 20 February 1928 (Showa 3), all the political parties threw considerable energy into the election campaign.

The previous year, at the Rikken Minseito's Kansai Convention of 22 November 1927 (Showa 2), HAMAGUCHI had given a speech referring to the present as an "age of experimentation" in party politics, emphasizing the responsibility of politicians. Moreover, he called upon the Home Ministry not simply to concern itself with the revisions in the electaural system, but also to help voters understand the significance of universal manhood suffrage.

Before the election, the Cabinet of Prime Minister TANAKA Gi'ichi tried to sway the electaural campaign in favor of the Seiyukai by terminating or transferring many prefectural governors, Home Ministry department heads, police chiefs, et al., but in the end, the Seiyukai and the Rikken Minseito won practically the same number of seats: 217 and 216, respectively. The remaining seats were held by the Jitsugyo Doshikai (four seats), the Kakushinto (three seats), and proletarian parties (eight seats) and the non-affiliated and other (eighteen seats).