This article compares the different trajectories of nuclear power policy in Japan, Taiwan and Korea in the post-Fukushima era. The Fukushima nuclear accident ratcheted up the level of contention between civil activism and supporters of nuclear power in all three states. The result of this contention has been decided by the combined effects of two factors -interest structure (complexity vs simplicity) and politicisation (national level vs local level). In terms of scope, policy change has taken place in Taiwan, Japan and Korea in that order. This analysis contributes to a balanced understanding of both structural constraints and the political process in which each actor, and in particular civil activism, is able to manoeuvre.
Since the retreat of the workplace system, Chinese cities have been presented with the important challenge of refurbishing local administrative systems at the sub-district level while meeting the emerging needs of new urban spaces. Building on new institutionalism concepts such as conversion and layering, this study examines conditions in Shanghai to ascertain what has made it a strong administrative city. The study discusses the development of Shanghai’s current local governance structure in terms of historical legacy, formal structure, and informal practices (i.e., two-tiered government and three-tiered management). This study also researches the complex state task of strengthening sub-district governance (so-called “community construction”) in urban China. The results of this study offer theoretical implications for institutional change and continuity related to these matters, thereby indicating that increased attention should be given to the agency-side explanation of endogenous institutional changes in the Chinese polity.
This article analyzes the development of nuclear power politics in Taiwan since 2016. In particular, it attempts to identify changing and/or recurring patterns of interaction between parties/politicians and civil society. Although more fluid forms of interest representation have emerged in recent decades, partisan strategies are still useful tools for social movements, especially as environmental/energy issues are highly politicized. Thus, existing institutional channels such as referendums and elections easily become battlefields for pro‐ and anti‐nuclear camps. How do the relevant actors in nuclear power politics interact regarding the current Democratic Progressive Party government's plan for a nuclear power phase‐out? While adopting a mechanism‐based approach, this article focuses specifically on explicating the interactions between parties/politicians and civil society. This article particularly highlights the role of civil society organizations and their activists, who straddle the line between political parties and civil society. These actors demonstrate both potential and limitations when it comes to changing the dynamics that exist between relevant actors in an iron triangle.
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