The government was a coalition between the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito (which had changed its name from "New Komeito" in the 2012–2014 term) and controlled both the upper and lower houses of the National Diet.

Following the snap "Abenomics Dissolution" and general election of 2014, Abe was re-elected by the Diet and chose to retain all the ministers from his previous cabinet except the defense minister, Akinori Eto, who had been involved in a money scandal.

Abe explained that he aimed to avoid the disruption of another major personnel change only three months after the September cabinet reshuffle.

The first took place in October 2015 following his re-election to another three-year term as president of the LDP and the launch of his "Abenomics 2.0" policies.

[2] The second reshuffle occurred in August 2016, following the victory of the ruling coalition in the July 2016 upper house elections, the first time since 1989 that the LDP held an outright majority in the House of Councillors.