Critical Review of the Abe Administration

Politics of Conservatism and Realism
1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 978-1-032-54885-2
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 284 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 596 g

Reihe: Routledge Contemporary Japan Series

The second Abe administration, which lasted for seven years and eight months, turned out to be the longest administration in Japan’s constitutional history. What factors contributed to its remarkable longevity? What accomplishments and enduring legacies did this administration achieve during its tenure?

Originally published in Bungeishunju in Japanese, this book examines policies pursued by the administration and its governance based on over 50 investigative interviews with key figures in the administration, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The contributors cover nine major policies, including economic policy, diplomacy and security, work style reform, trade liberalization, and historical issues, and explore why a specific policy was chosen at that time, who made that decision, and on what grounds. Reviewing such decision-making processes sheds light on the issue of governance. Consequently, this book also analyses the administration’s distinctive style of governance, such as strong leadership from the Prime Minister’s Office, ability to navigate party politics, and overwhelming victories in national elections.

An essential for scholars and students in the fields of public administration, public policy, Japanese studies, and Asian Studies.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Funabashi, Yoichi

Nakakita, Koji

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Regionalwissenschaften, Regionalstudien
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Zentralregierung
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Stadt- und Regionalsoziologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Studien zu einzelnen Ländern und Gebieten

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Contents

List of figures

List of tables

List of contributors

Acknowledgements

YOICHI FUNABASHI

Foreword

YOICHI FUNABASHI

Introduction: What made Abe’s long and stable administration possible?

KOJI NAKAKITA

Chapter 1. Abenomics: Putting the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Japan under the prime minister’s control

KOJI NAKAKITA

Chapter 2. Elections and public relations campaigns: Winning over the younger generation in a "silent revolution"

SHIRO SAKAIYA

Chapter 3. The Prime Minister’s Office in charge: The conditions that enabled strong and stable leadership

KOJI NAKAKITA

Chapter 4. Foreign and security policy: The pursuit of strategy

KEN JIMBO

Chapter 5. Politics on TPP and CPTPP: Turning Japan into one of the world’s major free trade powers

TAKASHI TERADA

Chapter 6. History issues: A consistently realist approach

NAOKO KUMAGAI

Chapter 7. Governance of the ruling parties: The pervasive control of the prime minister

HARUKATA TAKENAKA

Chapter 8. Skillful agenda-setting for women’s policy

YUKI TSUJI

Chapter 9. Constitutional revision—Why it failed

KENNETH MORI MCELWAIN

List of interviewees

List of Ministers and key government officials

List of key LDP officials

Chronology

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Yoichi Funabashi is Distinguished Journalist-in-Residence and Chairman of the Global Council at the International House of Japan.

Koji Nakakita is Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Law, Chuo University, Japan.