Het zwakke parlement, LDP, ambtenaren en kiezers
‘Who Governs?’
Introduction
How could LDP maintain power since ’55? Tradition?
Who holds power actually? Pyramid (Karel Van Wolferen) Iron triangle Bureaucrats (Chalmers Johnson)
Which role for the prime minister?
Van Wolferen: With Koizumi at the Theatre: http://joiwiki.ito.com/joiwiki/index.cgi?karel_van_wolferen_with_koizumi_at_the_theatre
LDP: dragon with many heads
LDP: conventional political party? Explaining LDP power
1. Factions 2. Goodwill by bureaucrats 3. Zoku 4. Election system 5. Iron triangle
1. Factions 派閥 Origin at creation of LDP Election system favors faction structure of
party: funds and competition Necessary for reaching important party
functions Importance of money: 後援会
農協 : votes and money for protection
Factions 派閥 2
At origin: informal groups for cultural reasons Now: rational organizations structured like
party and balancing positions 4 main functions in party by members of
different factions Tanaka tried to challenge this unwritten rule but
failed 1993 factions abolished but recreated
Koizumi challenges factions but strengthens own
Evolution of the Tanaka faction
2. Servants of the people? 官僚 Prewar privileged status
Servants of the emperor Todai
Postwar status Provide experience for political parties: close links LDP-
bureaucrats (loyalty) Engineers of miracle
MITI AG Amakudari
No democratic accountability
Difficulties ahead for Ishihara…
Tarnished image in the 1990s
First critique due to pollution Tanaka controls bureaucrats Niigata gets shinkansen
Slow and inadequate reaction after Kobe earthquake HIV-scandal
10-2001: high level bureaucrat convicted Existed special culture in the ministries: above the
law, corruption seemed aquired right
Administrative Reform
APL 1994 Hashimoto: reduce ministries and bureaucrats
Finance Post Labor Defense
New structure in 1-2001
Structure of the administration
Head of ministry: 事務次官 政務次官・ 1.150 m bureaucrats 3 levels of exams: 1. 800 recruited and become
members of highest administrative level ¼ of LDP mp is former bureaucrat 53 is average age for retirement = amakudari 天下り
縄張り (sectionalism) Agriculture and MITI conflict over liberalization of rice
3. 族 : member of parliament and lobbyer opposed to reform
Become kind of bureaucrats in party Tanaka was maybe first Three kinds
Own interests Post Agriculture construction
Ideology Defence education
Idealistic Cooperation between opposition and LDP
Zoku in Education policy: http://www.people.virginia.edu/~ljs2k/zoku.txt
Only opposition to bureaucracy?
4. The election system: power to the farmers
Every citizen can vote from 20 Districts decided before industrialization Inequality of votes: against art 14 Const.
Chiba 380.000 Ehime 75.000
Court did not nullify elections New election system wanted badly in major cities but
against interest of LDP
Election campaign:no limits
Very strict laws Informally much more: personal visits,
attending ceremonies, offering money,… Dependency on money barrier for reform and
open politics
The new election system: 1994
300 single-seat constituencies 180 proportional seats (11 districts) Purpose:
only larger parties, coalitions, no longer money politics, more women, equity between villages and cities
Effects clear in 11-2003 Komeito Still inequality votes: 2.4:1 (Kanagawa: Tottori); higher house 5:1
(Tokyo:Tottori)
5. Iron Triangle
LDP Bureaucrats Presidents of large companies
dependency Mutual background
Summary
Dependency between powerful groups
Lack of pluralism cause of power structure
New Japan possible thanks to a new election system
Lectuur volgende week (2-12-2009)
Hoofdstuk 7 en 8
Voorbereiden mondelinge presentatie van 5 minuten met drie suggesties voor het nieuwe plan.
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