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New Rules, New Game? Political System Change in Japan and its Consequences
Organizer: Chao-Chi Lin, Stanford University
Chair: Jennifer Amyx, University of Pennsylvania
Discussants: Eiji Kawabata, Minnesota State University and Robert J. Weiner, Cornell University
Since the mid-1990s, Japan has introduced many reforms. When these reforms were enacted initially, many observers were skeptical about the degree of change they were likely to bring about in results or behaviors. However, more recent analyses suggest that a great deal has changed. Using Japan as a case study, this panel tackles the general question of how changes in the institutional context affect interaction among political actors. The panel focuses in particular on examining change in Japan’s ruling party, the LDP. Many of the LDP’s traditional practices were seen as economically counterproductive in recent years but persisted nonetheless. We assess how much the LDP has adjusted to the changed environment.
The panel’s papers discuss three aspects of change: change in inter-party competition, in the relationship between the LDP and its supporters, and in intra-party dynamics. Koellner examines consequences of political reform with a focus on the increasing importance of party platforms, in particular how changes in electoral competition have led to a “manifesto boom”. Amyx explores the consequences of financial deregulation for the range of policy instruments available to the LDP to raise party support. Lastly, Lin looks at the evolving role of the prime minister in policy-making and explores how a rise in the authority and tools available to the prime minister affects intra-party dynamics. Eiji Kawabata and Robert Weiner will serve as discussants.
Manifest Changes in Japanese Electoral Communications? The Rise and Implications of the “Manifesto Boom”
Patrick Koellner, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Germany
In the past, party platforms were often fairly vague and played only a relatively unimportant role when it came to campaigning. Recently the introduction of party manifestos, outlining concrete measures in various policy areas, has been noticeable at different levels of elections. In 2003, all Japanese parties published manifestos before the general election and “manifesto” was even chosen as the most popular Japanese expression in that year.
This paper argues that the recent “manifesto boom” reflects significant changes in Japanese politics. One major change is electoral reform. Due to the move from the single non-transferable vote system to a hybrid electoral system, party differentials have become more important. Another major change is the rise of unaffiliated voters. Reliance on traditional voters is no longer sufficient to secure their parties’ electoral fortunes. Against the background of these changes, party manifestos represent an attractive tool to reach out to and mobilize voters -- in particular, unaffiliated voters. In addition to the background of the advent of party programs, this paper discusses how manifestos are used differently in Japan and Britain, and asks whether or not party-based debates will have substantial effects on policy-making.
Political Implications for the LDP of a Transformed Financial System in Japan
Jennifer Amyx, University of Pennsylvania
How has financial deregulation and the shift to a new financial regulatory regime affected the range of policy tools available to the LDP in its endeavor to gather votes and obtain political support? This paper reviews broadly the changes in Japan’s financial system since the late 1990s and analyzes how these changes affect the range of tools available to the governing party to influence macroeconomic and industry-level outcomes.
The paper finds that reforms in public sector finance have had the greatest impact on options for governing party members because of the effect on key LDP constituencies such as construction and agriculture. And, the paper examines the ways in which the governing party has had to address the impact here in garnering support. The paper also finds that the impact of stricter and more arms-length regulation of banks, the end to the convoy approach to regulation across financial services, new limits on bank shareholding, tightened accounting standards, and greater foreign participation make it much more difficult than in the past for the LDP to control private financial sector outcomes or promote selected industries. However, some modes of influence remain at the level of regional and smaller local financial institutions. Upon the backdrop of many fewer financial tools to use for governing party purposes, the paper shows that greater attention has been placed recently on two areas to retain or obtain votes: financial consumer protection, and mergers and acquisition legislation.
Reinventing the Relationship between the Prime Minister and the Party: The Case of Postal Privatization
Chao-Chi Lin, Stanford University
Conventional wisdom tells us that the Japanese prime minister only plays a secondary role in policy-making and any significant policy changes must proceed through the party organs, obtaining party approval first. Contrary to expectations, however, Japan’s Prime Minister Koizumi dominated the agenda of policy debates. Despite strong opposition from within his own party, he even successfully passed controversial bills such as the postal privatization bills. There is no doubt that Koizumi had an extraordinary personal impact in elevating the role of the prime minister. However, using systematic comparisons to past failed reform attempts, this paper shows that Koizumi’s active involvement in policy-making is the result of a confluence of several changes, including political reforms and administrative reforms, which were enacted before Koizumi took office.
Through an analysis of the process surrounding the passing the postal privatization bills, this paper shows that with policy initiative and agenda-setting power, the prime minister enjoyed the first-mover advantage to determine the direction and scope of the policy, pushing other actors to respond and negotiate with him. Moreover, the improved authority and resources he enjoyed enabled the prime minister to overcome resistance and buy consent. As the costs of opposing the prime minister increased, the prime minister’s relationship with the party, between groups within the party, and between zoku Diet members and the bureaucracy changed. The paper’s analysis of these changes sheds light on the larger implications of the changing role of zoku politicians in Japan for our understanding of Japanese politics.