特別講義「Japanese Politics from a Comparative Perspective」
| Numbering Code | U-LAW00 21823 LE42 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture |
| Target Year | Target Student | ||
| 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 demonstrate 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). 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. |
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| Course Goals | By the end of the class, students should have a rudimentary knowledge of basic political institutions and those of Japan in particular. Through the comparative approach taken through the course, students will begin to be able to think critically about cause and effect as well as the variation which exists in the politics of different countries. | ||
| 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 |
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