Politics deals with power, control, influence and involves the capacity for one person or group to persuade another person or group to behave in a preferred manner. The Curtis piece illustrates the koenkai as political organizations that seem to serve as intermediaries between political leaders and the public. The political function of koenkai in Japanese politics plays an important role in the procurement, retention, and exercise of power for Diet candidates and Diet members. I believe the method by which the koenkai accomplish the procurement and retention of power through the "three kais" for its" Diet representatives tends to overlook and downplay what a politician"s positions are on comprehensive public policy issues. But rather the method places more emphasis and importance on what a politician can do for the local constituency in terms of short-term gratification of social networking needs. .

             Curtis describes the koenkai as "a mass membership organization with the function of organizing large numbers of the general electorate on behalf of a particular Diet candidate". Particular koenkai were mentioned to have memberships ranging in the thousands to tens of thousands. Koenkai"s are able to attain a broad based amount of memberships because membership is informal, sometimes even to the point of just being a name on the koenkai list is enough to constitute membership. Koenkai"s typically are divided into various club groups depending on age, sex, and interest making them inclusive political bodies that cater to a wide range of people groups within the electorate. .

             Catering to the electorate on a more personal level is what fuels the koenkai"s ability to acquire public consensus and approval of Diet members. The perks and benefits that come along with belonging to a koenkai is how support for a politician and his power is continuously preserved. The "three kais" menkai, shokai, and enkai, along with gift contributions from a koenkai to it"s identifiers is what promulgates and enhances the personal relationship between the electorate and political candidates who seek their vote support.