Comparative Politics

B01 - Political Representation and Public Policy: Who Represents How and What?

Date: Jun 3 | Time: 08:30am to 10:00am | Location:

Chair/Président/Présidente : Jim Farney (University of Regina)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Etsuhiro Nakamura (Aichi Gakuin University)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Hideki Kido (Ritsumeikan University)

This panel examines which societal interests are reflected in public policy at both local and national levels. It explores which interests are prioritized by the government or politicians and how they are selected. To address these questions, the panel includes four presentations. Nakamura focus on the challenges faced by Japanese local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on regional revitalization planning and the strategic use of COVID-related grants. Nakamura examines how local governments responded to this sudden relaxation of budget constraints due to Covid-19 by analyzing grant usage and survey data. Kido fills a gap in the existing research by analyzing politicians’ career paths in Japan before they become national parliament members, specifically focusing on their past careers in local politics. He examines how many politicians transition from the prefectural and/or municipal levels to central politics and how they behave in the Diet of Japan. Tsuji examines the differences and relations of gendered political representation between two legislatures in the national Diet of Japan, with a particular attention to the role of the House of Councillors in women's political representation and policy making processes advancing women's rights and interests. Kato analyzes the theoretical possibility and empirical validity of “Semi-parliamentarism” through the case study of parliamentary politics in Japan and Australia. Based on the historical development of parliamentary politics in Japan and Australia, Kato reveals that legislature-centered majority formation presupposes the political factors such as the stabilization of multi-party system and difficulty of majority control of the two major brocks in the Senate.

Municipal Planning in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Strategic Utilization of Grants: Etsuhiro Nakamura (Aichi Gakuin University)
Abstract: In this presentation, we focus on the challenges faced by Japanese local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on regional revitalization planning and the strategic use of COVID-related grants. The regional revitalization policy, initiated in 2014, provided a framework in which the central government supported local governments in addressing the challenges posed by Japan’s declining birthrate and aging population. Although this policy faced criticism for using local governments to achieve centrally determined goals, many local authorities welcomed it due to the tangible benefits in the form of grants. However, these grants came with numerous restrictions, which became a major source of dissatisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020, brought about a significant transformation in these regional revitalization policies. The central government supplied substantial grants to support local economies, businesses, and citizens affected by the pandemic, without the detailed restrictions that had previously accompanied such funding. Whereas traditional grants required prior approval for projects that aligned with central government objectives and involved strict guidelines, the COVID-related grants came with no such directives or restrictions. Local governments were given greater flexibility, provided the funds were used for pandemic-related measures, allowing them to be allocated toward both economic stabilization and public health initiatives. This study examines how local governments responded to this sudden relaxation of budget constraints by analyzing grant usage and survey data. While many local authorities made expenditures based on long-term planning, we also investigate the short-term political impacts observed during this period.

Who Represents Local Governments? Analysing Behaviour of Parliament Members in Japan: Hideki Kido (Ritsumeikan University)
Abstract: This study examines politicians’ career paths in Japan before they become national parliament members, specifically focusing on their past careers in local politics. We investigate how many politicians transition from the prefectural and/or municipal levels to central politics and how they behave in the Diet of Japan. Previous studies have argued that political party routes connect local interests with the national policymaking process in Japan. However, they often treat all political parties as single political actors that reflect local interests. Some studies have suggested that parliament members with local careers behave in ways that reflect local interests in the policymaking process, and that local politicians are an important source for political candidates in the national parliament in Japan. However, these studies lack comprehensive data on politicians’ career paths. On the other hand, some research in legislative studies have stated that there are certain number of politicians who move from local to central political world. However, these studies have not paid attention to whether they behave in favour of local governments. To address this, my presentation will investigate the former jobs of all parliament members in the Lower House starting from 1994, including various types of political careers, such as governors, mayors, local legislative assembly members, and others. In addition, this study will collect data regarding politicians’ committee affiliation in the Diet. With this data set, this study will investigate whether central politicians with past experiences at local politics would behave in favour of local governments.

Political Representation of Gender in the Bicameral Legislatures of Japan: Yuki Tsuji (Tokai University)
Abstract: This paper examines the differences and relations of gendered political representation between two legislatures in the national Diet of Japan, with a particular attention to the role of the House of Councillors (the Upper House) in women's political representation and policy making processes advancing women's rights and interests. The ratio of female members of the House of Councillors has been higher than that of the House of Representatives. In addition, from a comparative perspective, the House of Councillors has strong powers vis-à-vis the House of Representatives among other bicameral systems. Since previous studies have not concluded on whether the Bicameralism works to the advantage of the social minorities, this paper asks whether has the House of Councillors broadened the representativeness of diverse society, especially on gender, and if yes, how? To answer these questions, this paper analyses the speeches and actions of female members in both houses of the Diet. It also examines the several policy making processes on gender issues in the 21st century.

Is Japanese and Australian Political System the New Types of Representative Democracy? The Theoretical Possibility and Empirical Validity of the Concept of “Semi-parliamentarism”: Masatoshi Kato (Ritsumeikan University)
Abstract: This paper considers the theoretical possibility and empirical validity of “Semi-parliamentarism” through the case study of parliamentary politics in Japan and Australia. The concept of “semi-parliamentarism” is developed by Steffen Ganghof（2018, 2023）. To both overcome the duality such as strong/ weak bicameralism and parliamentarism/ presidentialism and find the own feature and dynamism, he develops this concept and characterizes it as the political system with following characteristics: 1]no popular elections of the chief executive, 2]the directly elected both assemblies, 3] the executive’s survival depends on the confidence of just one part of the assembly. He argues that this concept applies to Japan and Australia and suggests that legislature-centered majority formation is likely to occur in both countries as theoretical prediction. However, empirical studies of both countries show that legislature-centered majority formation does not always occur but is an exception. Why do theoretical predictions deviate? Based on the historical development of parliamentary politics in Japan and Australia, this paper shows that legislature-centered majority formation presupposes the political factors such as the stabilization of multi-party system and difficulty of majority control of the two major brocks in the Senate. In other words, while the concept of “semi-parliamentarism” has the theoretical values in locating the rare case such as Japan and Australia in the consistent framework of political system, its validity depends on the political institutions but also on other political factors such as actor constellations.