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123 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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why was 2009 a big year for Japan?
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the liberal democratic party, which had controlled government since 1955, was defeated in a general election by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)
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the description commonly associated with Japan is
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economic miracle
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Pax Nipponica
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Japans economy surpass the USA
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what are some problems Japan faces
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extremely old population, over-dependence on exports, deregulation, modernize immigration policy which will effect community building after a influx of "poor" workers, security
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what security problems does Japan have
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USA is less interested in them after cold war,north korea nuclear bombs and spy ships, China wants some islands back from Japan
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Japan from 11,000 BCE to 300 CE
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we see japan go from Jomon to Yayoi culture, Yayoi has a emphasis on brozne/iron weapons and wet-field rice agriculture
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Japan from 300-710 CE
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Yamato takes control and Japanese courts sponser Buddhism. write histories using Chinese characters/ write consitution
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Japan from 794 CE
hint:Samurai |
capital moved. The court lacked an effective centralized military system, however, warrior clans, samurai, generally began to assume more power. power becomes more decentralized and samurai families become more dominant/ and warring amoungst each other
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Tokugawa clan
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provides unity in Japan from warring samurai era. Japan takes a rigid systematic form. confusion doctrine informed the rigid class system that was constructured during the period. Closed Japan to contact with the outside world.
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What caused the Meiji restoration to happen
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USA comes over and demands Japan opens its isolated boarders and trade with Usa. The tokugawa clan was instantly scared, this showed the nation they needed to end isolation and the tokugawa clan and "restore" the empire to power
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what was Meiji restoration
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meiji installed as the supreme political and religious leader. however, the emperor had little real power, he was just meant to create unity. the samurai who had undermined the tokugawa used this unity to further their own poltical agendas.
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what were the goals of the Meiji restoration
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national tax system based on land and eliminated the system of samurai stipends. catch up with the west by promoting industrial development and ridding itself of "unequal treaties" that had been forced upon japan when its isolation was ended so abruptly.
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Oligarchies in japan had no intention of -------------------- however, the did
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democratizing politics on any mass level, they did establish a consitution with a elected legislature
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Diet
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a bicameral legislative body, on the model of European parlimentary democracy. did not control cabinet but could reject certain governmental actions (specifically the budget) so the cabinet had to bargain with nascent(baby) poltical parties on many issues
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who controlled the cabinet in Japan during meija
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oligarchies managed to control cabinet-decision making by choosing the pm and the ministers of various government bureaucracies.
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Taisho demorcacy
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apex of pre-war demorcacy. cabomets were dominated by poltical parties that controlled the parliment. the remaining oligarchies felt it neccessary to pick the PM from among party leaders to gain Diet cooperation
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1932-1945 japan
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poltical coruption eroded support for parties and the minister was assainated. The military took over with little opposition. begins full scale war against china, usa blocks oil shippment to japan and japan turns around and attack oil shipments in southeat asia and attacks pearl harbor.
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allied occupation of japan
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demilitarize and democratize japan, so that they would never want to or be able to wage war again. uprooted the old elite and its basis of power. many trials against war officals
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article 9
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peace clause, renounces right to wage war or maintain a military capability . overtime, as less people remember war dwindles article 9 has been modified to help japan become a international peacekeeper.
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what were the goals of the allied occupation of japan, how did they want to see it reformed>
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,dissolution and decentralization of ownership control over much of the industrial economy , new consitution emphasising individvudal rights, land reform(reduce tenant/rent land so you have less extremist), trade union movement( ability to strike and bargain collectively),
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now looking at japans, a ally in the pacific, the usa switched objective to
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economic stabilization and growth
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US japan mutal security treaty
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allowed the usa to station troops in japan and to continue to occupy . using okinawa as a vital military base for containment strategy
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what ended usa occupation in japan
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korean war boom
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japense group-oriented behavior rests on
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the centrality of long-term relationships for career and social success in japan.
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the Japanese system of government is
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parliamentary , bicameral, and nonfederal
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in japan for a bill to be passed,
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both houses but pass a identical bill
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the house of representatives alone
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chooses the PM , passes the budget, and ratifies treaties The upper house can offer a counterproposal or opionion but cannot compel the lower house to pawy attention
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the lower house must accomidate the preferences of the upper house, unless
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it can muster a 2/3rd majority to overide the upper house
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how is the PM elected
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the house of representative. usually the largest party in the lower house
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what does the PM do
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appoints a cabinet in which half the members must be legislators. these legislators head up the ministeries and agencies that comprise the central government bureaucracy
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prefractures
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47 of them, each elects its own govornor and legilature
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municipalities
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elect their own mayor and city councils
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Japan is not a federal system; all local gov authority
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is delegates and may be retracted or overrules by the national government
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why are local elections important
and ex |
they show voting trends
when incumbant ldp people were choosen in the 1970's ( people who favored the enviornment) the national gov started passing a slew of anti-pollution laws |
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The judiciary system in japan
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resembles the independence of courts in the usa. however, it is not the reality. courts are put in a position where there decisions anathema to government interests. Cabinet appoints the supreme court and therefore indirectly determines all lower court appointments as well.
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why doesnt japan have more conflicts for courts to mediate
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unlike the usa which has seperate groups sharring poltical party ( state vs federal) (elected legilative vs executive branch) japan has a unitary parlimentary system thus fewer checks and balances
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has political manipulation of the courts mattered?
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judical review show that the supreme court will overrule lower courts decide cases against the preferences of sitting government
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malapportionment
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1. malapportionment in the house of representatives was determined unconstitutional, but the LDP won a considerable proprotion of its support from over-represented areas. losing these seats would have been detrimental. while not throwing out the lowers court ruling of unconstutionality, it did not attempt to establish a strict rule for reappointment either
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article 9 and the supreme court
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supports expanding military even though many lower courts call in unconsitutional. they support the LDPs position, not suprisingly the judge who rules against LDP saw his career prospects take a turn for the worse
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social heiarchy in japan
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governs most japanese relationships . but superiors do not simply dominate those below them . they are obliged to tend to their subordinate needs as well
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confomirty in japan
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cities belief that indivudal goals should be sublimated to the objectives of the group
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nihonjinron
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the theory of japaneseness uniqeuness
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the japanese like to think of themsleves as
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as a people who value the group over the needs and wants of indivduals. they value hard work, particularly when directed to the common cause, and are lerry of people who seek to display extrodinary talent or native ability . hierarichally organized and status-conscious. unlike westerns because they seek to avoid conflict and settle disputes through intermediaries rather than directly or adversarially through courts of law
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why is this a false statement "is is un-japanese to sue"
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1. prewar rate of civil case initiation were extremely large so this cannot be a behavior of ordinary japanese
2. postwar gov make it time-consuming, expensive, and consequently, less-profitable |
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one manifestation of the emphasis and order in japan is
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the halting change in gender roles in the postwar period
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although womens opportunities are improving
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japense politics and in the workplace remain limited. the traditional role of a "good wive and wise mother" has been little altered by either evolving social values or legal prescription
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prior to the 2006 revisions of the equal emplotment opportunit law
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while at first causing a influx of women in the workplace, nothing against discriminatory hiring practices based on such factors as physical apperance and the glass celining was low and most impentrable
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women are commonly expected to find employment after
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completing school that serves only as a transition to marriage and childcare
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the japense welfare state is much less extensive than those in Europe . partly, as a result
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it is hard to find decent child care or elderly-care service that would help women balance career and family . therefore, japense women marry later and bear fewer children causing the rapid aging of the population
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2 changes may improve the status of women in Japanese society
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1. demographic, despite the longevity of japense citizens, tops in the world, birth rates have declines so far that the Japanese population has begun to shrink, causing the workforce to shrink. need women to fill gaps
2.decline of lifetime employment, women and men become more equal investment opportunity and risk |
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Japanese political behavior and economic success have also been attributed, at least in part, to
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ethnic and cultural homogeneity
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what is the largest ethnic minority in japan
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koreans. brought over as laborers during the war. if you do no naturalize, may not vote or hold government jobs, and discrimination in the private-sector work force is widely recognized. until 1992, those who did not become citizens, including taking Japanese name, were fingerprinted and required to carry alien registration identification
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Ainu
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ethnic minority in japan, an indigenour group who were pushed to the northen parts of japenses island . now cosidered ethnic japanese
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Burakumin
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ethnically japanese, are decendents of feudal outcasts that did jobs considered impure by the budhist elite. much discrimination, even though it is illegal
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one reason the LDP was so successful for so long at implementing campaign strategies that downplayed issues in favor of the distribution of private goods was
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the simple absense of many common issue cleavages
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why do japense have high level anxiety?
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japanese cooprerations hire disproprotinetly from top schools, and since jobs are for life , what school you attend is of extreme importance
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how are the unversitys in japan
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used to separate the brightest. dont learn much in school. employers will teach you what you need to know at your job
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Japanese political culture today is in a process of dramatic transformation from
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relational to policy voting. before the electoral reform of 1994, candidates personal qualities and their ability to provide consitutients with personal favors were of paramount value. now, the ability to present convincing arguments about policy issues, because more people vote.
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the political invovlment of japanese is
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low. young people dont really feel its their duty to vote.
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why is there negative attitudes amoungst young japanese
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they feel like they missed out on the economic miracle. , after only being around of 2 years of economic recessions
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what is the largest group of respondents in public-opinion polls
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independent
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what have been the voting trends in recent years
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more turnout to voting but less party affiliation
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The house of represnetatives
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elected for 1 4year term, but as in most parliamentary system, terms usually end early because pm may dissolve the chamber and call elections at any time
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2 changes to the house of represenatatives
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1. women were granted the right to vote, enabling all japanese aged 20 years and older to vote in national and local elections
2. the communist party was legalized |
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single non-transferable vote system
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was used fro lower house elections. the average number of seats available per district under sntv was 4, so any political party seeking a lower house majority was compelled to run multiple candidates in each district . since a voter could only cast 1 vote, a candidates most bitter rival was people from his won party
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SNTV elections caused
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expensive politics and issue-free policymaking centered on prok-barrel spending and patronage for organized interest groups
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since 1994 how are the house of representative seats determined
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single-member districts compose 300 member and 180 are elected from eleven regional districts by proportional represnetation.
each voter casts 2 votes one for their single member district and 1 fro there pr |
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a candidate may run in a
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district and appear on the corresponding party list in a larger region, so unsuccessful district candidates can be "saved" by the list
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the key effects of the new 1994 voting laws is
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intraparty compeittion and single-memeber districts will have a 2 party system
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How are seats in the House of Councillors choosen?
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you get a fixed 6 year term, where half of the house is elected every 3 years. each voter has 2 votes. 1 casted in prefectural sntv for a indivudal candidate and 1 casted in in the PR district . however, unlike the lower house you can not run in both elecitons
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in 2001 the PR tier for the house of councillors (upper house) was changed from closed list to open list. what does that mean
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closed list party chooses candidates and voter votes based on favorite party
in a open list , PR voters may choose a indivudal candidate within the party. the partys candidates are re-ranked based on these preferences . thus who gets to serve is based on the voters not the party. however, this raised intraparty comeptition |
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despite the use of SNTV for the upper house
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there is not much intrapatry competition because each is a single seat districts and in the 2 double seat disrticts they party usually only nominates 1 candidate .
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New frontier party
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the NFP the jomeito and dsp (2 centraist groups) and some LDP formed the NFP... did well in election but split after policy diagreements
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The democratic party of Japan (DPJ)
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former LDP and JSP members. when the NFP split it took many of its seats . democratic centrism. (it has memebers that are both traditionally left and traditionally right). p
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why did DPJ pm, Yukio hatoyama resign
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the DPJs popularity was declining after much in house squabbling over whether to focus on economic growth or expand welfare
PM resigned after 9 months. |
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a party the size of dpj is
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too big and too diverse to sing with one voice.
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Liberal democratic party
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dominated politics from 1955-1993. largest party in power until 2009
center right, pro-capitalist, pro-western. however, recently has expanded to big-buissness, agriculture, construction , and retailing. took money from big-buissness to finacne SNTV campaigns and used money to help famrers |
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what platform did DPJ run with
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roviding more support to citizens who citizens who were effected by LDPs recent liberalization policys and reducing governmental power and decentralizing the japanese state
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why did LDP decline
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tremendous economic growth caused dramatic demographic change. many LDP support bases, specifically agriculture workers and small retailer, were now new urban class who were dissatified with urban blights causing decrase in LDP majoritys. at first, because of malpportionment they were ok but that was fixed
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Clean government party (Komeito )
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buddhist organization . hummanitarian socalism but remains fiercly anticommunist focus on coordinating with other centraist partys because of its unability to grow pas soka gakkai followers. offered support to LDP from 19988-2009 in exchange for LDP support in PR tier. now, its trying to match up withDPJ
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The social democratic party
a.k. japan socalist party |
largest left wing force. big supporter of article 9 and vilify those against it. believes japans self-defense forces are unconsitutional . opposes nuclear weapons. most support from labor/ unions. champions workers rights and re-distributive economic policies. as manufacturing labor declined support declines
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whats the history between jsp/sdp and ldp
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at first organized a anto-ldp coalition but split with its partners over differing opinions. then formed a coalition with ldp from 1994-1996, and had a sdp PM. but the PM had to step down when he would not renounce SDPs love for article 9. this causes sdp to plummit
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what is a absent pattern of partisan support measure
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any breakdown of party support by ethnic or regional cleavages
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how did LDP win a huge majority in 2005
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Koizumi was extremly liked by the japanese and promised to change japan by changing the LDP. when LDP members voted against his liberalization he called a snap election and won a supermajority
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why did LDP lose in 2009 and DPJ win
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people did not like Koizumis successrs who stalled the liberalization. DPJ sympathzied with them. the critized the LDP for letting reform stall and empathize with the vitctims of liberlization and promised to make a welfare safety net.
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why did the DPJ have trouble its 1st year in power
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ran on a reform platform and PNP wanted to roll back the liberalizing koizumi reforms. then Prim minister Yukio Hatoyama, after the urging of small partner SDP, promised to reduce the presnece of US troops in Okinawa but the US refused to renegotiate and SDP left coalition and Hatoyama resigned in disgrace
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what are the most successful interest groups of japan
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farmers, big buisness and small retailers and small manufacturers
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what are some poor interest groups in japan
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labor unions and consumers
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how did interest groups contribute to LDPs fall from power
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japanese economy gloablized and the fraying from its farmers, big buisness and small retailers and small manufacturers
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the new electoral system has attenuated the influence of organized interests in 2 ways
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1.it eliminated the intraparty compeition that makes electioneering so expensive, which reudced the importence of money and mobilization that those groups provided.
2.a district candidate must now aim to win 50 percent of the vote, targeted appeals to core (organize) interest groups are less valuable than broad-based appeals to the average voter. |
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Big buissness in japan
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sony, toyota, mitsubishsi have dominated economic markets. the gov helped by protection against foreign compeition, research cartels, and massive subsidies and tax incentives.
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keiretsu
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large firms are often liked to one another in industrial groupings. the usa claims that cross-shareholding and vertical intergation amoong keiretsu member forms consitutie informal trade barriers and should be prohibited under Japanese antitrust laws
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small and medium size businesses
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compose 70 percent of Japanese employment and offered a steady supply of votes for the LDP. small manufactures have enjoyed a variety of tax breaks and direct subsidies. credit for small buisness even at the expense of big buissness,
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Large scale retail store law
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protect shops my limiting the entry of big retial stores that would have put them out of buisness. however, many of these protective measures have been rolled back allowing for greater competition , lower prices, and better services for consumers
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Agriculture
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run by the Nokyo( a lobbyist group that performs many functions a agricultural government agency would perform). makes a monopoly of farming inputs and farm products and insurers and banks for farming communities.
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why have farmers long been a signifigant soucre of votes for the LDP
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malapportionment of previous electoral system benefitted farmers. farmers recieved tariff and quota protection from competing imported products , price support, and minimal taxation.
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why have farmers abbandoned ldp and joined djp
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consider themselves losers in the new ldp market oriented economy and like djps commitment to social secutiry and economic redress
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enterprise unions
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japanese labor unuons are organized on the basis of workplace rather than occupation, craft, or economic sector
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ties between workers of rival firms are
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much weaker than other industrialised countries. this has reduced tension between managment and labor within firms at the expense of worker welfare
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Rengo
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japan trade union conderation. has 68% of japans unionized workers and is a major support base for the DPJ
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member bills are almost always exercises in
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grandstanding for the sponsers consitutiencies, where the proposal itself is the point, and they rarely have any hope of passing into law
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the typical path for new legislation proceeds as follows
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a ministry drats legilation for some policy change in its jurisdiction and submits the bill to the cabinet. the cabinet may send the bill back, reject it, or amend it in any way it wishes, when satisfied it submits it to the diet. (lower and upper house) after passed it is implemented
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any bill passed by the diet becomes
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the law of the land. there is no separtely elected president who may veto the diet actions and diet laws supersede any local laws that may conflict. supreme court may declare a law unconsitutional, butt this is very rare.
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what are burecrats jobs in the legilation process
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laws are often very vauge so the burcrats are given resources and discretion to make laws into life.
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because the cabinet is responsible to the legilature, if the need be the legislature can always write
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more specific laws later if they discover the buraucrats are choosing, interpreting, or implementing policy incorrectly... or even fire the cabinet
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if the cabinet were not responsible to the legilature, like in a presidential system, the legilature must be more carfeful in
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delegating because it cannot be sure that the president will aquiesce in later efforts to overturn decisions made by executive branches own appointees, and it cannot threaten a presidents jobs for failing to yield to congressional demands
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japanese bureaucrats are exceptionally
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talented
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former burecrats are amakudari
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move into cushy positions for firms they used to regulate. salary and suthority or their position directly coorelate to how high up they got in the ministry.
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bureucrat bashing
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reshuffled the ministires, got rid of mandatory retirment and thus hurt the amakudari system, politicans have to be responsible for their own answers in diet interpolations.
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during the LDP dominance era comparative studies show japans diet as
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weak. the diet rarely rejected the cabinets bills or debated about them, buracrats were delegated a great deal of responsability
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how do you explain the paradox of a weak diet when the constitution gives the legilature so much power
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continued control of the diet and cabinet by the same poltical party allowed the formal legislature process to become routine and tranquil. this explains the relative inactviity of the diet and the big reliance on burecrats
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with a single-party majority control, a single party can work its will, there is no need to
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air internal discussions or squable publicly
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the most well-known aspect of post-war japanese history has been the countrys
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remarkable economic development
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the 1st theory stresses the role that market fundamentals
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have played in directing Japanese economic growth. Japans high postwar growth is simply a result of returning to the growth path established before ww2, but interuppted by the devastation of war. growth rates were so high, because 1945 was so low. blessed with well educated but low-cost labor force and an open world market. this theory discounts any positive role for interventionist government plicy
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a second theory contends that japans government , or more percicely...
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its well trained bureaucrats is the source of economic success. skillful use of government in providing firms with access to capital. industrial policy pointed firms in fruitful directions. retreating from declining economic sectors, i.e. coal. that were unlikely to be successful in the future. ministiry of international trade picked industries that would become profitable and discarded those that wouldnt
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a third theory suggests that japan has maintained a form of "strategic...
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capitalism" requiring cooperation between the firms in an economic sector and the government over the type and depth of govenrment invovled. reduced competition from other established firms and restriction on new entrants bring higher profits in a given sector.
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in light of the heavy-handed regulation in the japanese domestic market, how can we explain the highly competitive japanese firms we see around the world?
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competition was always fierce in japans big export markets, automobiles and consumer electronics
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evidence seems to defy the common view that government and business work closely together in Japan because of
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the dictates of bureaucratically determined industrial policy,. the government facilitates bargaining and cooperation among firms but can do so easily only when the firms themselves want that cooperation
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relatively closed domestic marketplace with its cooperative capitalism has
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exasperates japans trading partners
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the oil crises brought 2 results that soured us-japan trade relations
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1. compelled japanese to increase their exports to pay for rising fuel costs
2. it made fuel-effieceient japanese cars attractive to us and european consumers |
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usa tried to lower japanese trade surplus by
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reduced japanese tariffs or raised improt quotas on agricultural and manurfacturing products, but other demands, such as for an end to cross-shareholding, went unrequited.
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what was a big cause of japans economic stagnation
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the world convinced japan to revalue the yen, in a hope that japanese productes would be less competitive and their own products relatively more competitive. this caused inflation of asset price bubbles(stocks and land) that burst in 1990
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Minamata town
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because of all the pollutionpeople had mental and physical diabilites because of the contaminated fish
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