Numbering Code	U-LAS06 20023 LE42	Year/Term	2022 ・ Second semester
Number of Credits	2	Course Type	Lecture
Target Year	2nd year students or above	Target Student	For all majors
Language	English	Day/Period	Tue.2
Instructor name	HIJINO KEN (Graduate School of Law Professor)
Outline and Purpose of the Course	This is an introductory course on Japanese politics which considers the nature of Japan's political institutions from a comparative perspective. The course will analyze how variation in key political institutions (such as the electoral system) affects political outcomes in Japan and other democracies. The course is organized into three parts: 1) a brief survey of Japanese political history from the Meiji era to the present 2) a description and comparison of Japan's key political institutions 3) investigation into a number of political themes in post-war Japan. Along the way, students are introduced to basic social science methodologies of comparison to generate causal inferences as well as some basic analytical models used in comparative politics (such as the principal-agent and veto player model).
Course Goals	The goal of this course is for students to begin to contemplate how the preferences of voters, politicians, parties and interest groups are constrained and channeled by political institutions. Another goal is for students to improve their English reading and writing skills through studying in English a subject that they may be familiar with in the Japanese language.
Schedule and Contents	1.Introduction: What is politics? What are political institutions? Why compare? Part one: An overview of Japan's political history 2. Why study Japan: cultural vs insituttional explanations 3. Political history: Meiji and post-war constitutions 4. Ideology and cleavages in Japan’s post-war political history Part two: Japan's political institutions in comparative perspective 5. Electoral systems 1: comparative overview 6. Electoral systems 2: From SNTV to MMM in Japan 7. Party systems and organizations 1: comparative overview 8. Party systems and organizations 2: Japanese parties and organizations 9. Executives and bureaucracy 1: comparative overview 10. Executives and bureaucracy 2: Japanese executive and bureacuracy 11. Local government 1: comparative overview 12. Local government 2: Japanese local government and decentralization Part three: Themes in Japanese politics 13. Explaining the lack of populism in Japan: society, economy, or institutions? 14. New cleavages in Japan: class, inter-generational, multi-cultural divides? Total:14 classes and 1 feedback
Evaluation Methods and Policy	Students will be evaluated on pop quizzes = 30% and a final examination = 70% for their grade.
Course Requirements	Previous knowledge in Japanese politics, social sciences or political science will not be required for this class. Students will be expected to read about 20-30 pages of rigorous and academic, though not technical, English. Students will also be expected to write their assignments in English (although this may change according to the class level).
Study outside of Class (preparation and review)	Students will be expected to read and prepare for at least 2-3 hours per class each week.
Textbooks	Textbooks/References	Japan Transformed: Political Change and Economic Restructuring, Rosenbluth and Thies
References, etc.	Principles of Comparative Politics, 2nd edition, Clark, Golder and Golder, (Sage CQ Press), ISBN:978-1608716791