Het zwakke parlement, LDP, ambtenaren en kiezers

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.