Bureaucracy in Japan

Pempel, T. J.

doi:10.1017/s1049096500034880

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Japan also has a strong central bureaucracy even with its parliamentary cabinet system, and its bureaucracy has played a significant role in planning and implementing major policies. Japanese bureaucratic agencies first draft most policies and laws that go before the national parliament (Pempel, 1992). In both the Korean and Japanese cases, bureaucratic expertise and capacity are crucial in determining their influence over policies.…”

Section: The First Normative Principle Of Bureaucratic Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bureaucracy and the Failure of Politics: Challenges to Democratic Governance

Meier

Compton

Polga-Hecimovich

et al. 2019

Administration & Society

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Bureaucratic reforms worldwide seek to improve the quality of governance. In this article, we argue that the major governance failures are political, not bureaucratic, and the first step to better governance is to recognize the underlying political causes. Using illustrations from throughout the world, we contend that political institutions fail to provide clear policy goals, rarely allocate adequate resources to deal with the scope of the problems, and do not allow the bureaucracy sufficient autonomy in implementation. Rational bureaucratic responses to these problems, in turn, create additional governance problems that could have been avoided if political institutions perform their primary functions.

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Section: The First Normative Principle Of Bureaucratic Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bureaucracy and the Failure of Politics: Challenges to Democratic Governance

Meier

Compton

Polga-Hecimovich

et al. 2019

Administration & Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…According to Nakamura (1990), the former emphasises the iron triangle of Diet members, senior bureaucrats and big business, while the latter refers to the active bureaucratic roles during the Japanese economic expansion period during the 1960s and 1970s. In short, the Japanese bureaucracy enjoys a national consensus about its policy expertise, while neither the Diet members nor the Prime Minister has a comparative policy expertise (Jun and Muto, 1995;Pempel, 1992).…”

Section: Observesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lost in translation

Norton

2007

International Journal of Public Sector Management

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Purpose -This paper aims to consider the suitability of Anglo-American new public management (NPM) practices in the context of public sector reform in Japan. Design/methodology/approach -The paper examines the two principal alternative approaches that have been taken to public sector reform in the UK and the USA. These comprise in the case of the UK the setting of targets by politicians and the monitoring by quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations of the extent to which these are delivered upon. This is in contrast to the USA, where reform has been founded upon "market-oriented populism". Reforms implemented by successive Japanese administrations since the end of the Second World War are considered and the extent to which these manifested a philosophical preference for either approach. Findings -The research finds that the Anglo-American (occidental) versions of NPM may not be appropriate in the context of public sector reform in Japan. Attempts to achieve a decentralised and deregulated form of NPM, philosophically rooted in the 1945 Constitution as written by the post-Second World War Occupying Power, the United States, and mimicked from its Anglo-American contexts by Japan's political elite may, paradoxically, delay achievement of more culturally accommodating reform of the bureaucracy acceptable to all the country's principal democratic stakeholders. Practical implications -The need for Japan's public sector reformers to evolve a unique form of NPM which accommodates the cultural and historical traditions of the country instead of mimicking occidental approaches is identified. Specifically, the paper provides policy proposals as to how this alternative to the UK and US models may be developed. Originality/value -The paper suggests an alternative approach to public sector reform in Japan, which may be suitable for other countries looking to implement NPM but finding the USA and UK policies unsuitable in the context of their own traditions. Accordingly, the paper should be of value to public sector managers and policy makers generally who are looking to innovate upon traditional models of NPM.

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“…As to the relationship with politicians, it has long been a recurrent theme that the bureaucracy has actually been 'governing' the country in their place (Koh, 1989;Pempel, 1992;Abe et al, 1994;Johnson, 1995;Moon and Ingraham, 1998). The explanation may well lie in the shortcomings of the politicians more than in the invasive efficiency of the bureaucrats.…”

Section: Weakening the Bureaucracy's Esprit De Corps And The Ambiguities Of Managerialismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Japanese Bureaucracy in Transition: Regulating Deregulation

Cerase

2002

International Review of Administrative Sciences

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The article draws attention to the implications for the Japanese national bureaucracy of the current economic crisis of the country and of its possible passage, after having been characterized as a developmental state, to a new regulatory state. This passage is best epitomized by the liberalization and deregulation policies recently adopted. In this context the questions examined are whether the bureaucracy will accept being the sacrificial scapegoat and how this could possibly take place. The argument advanced is that the bureaucracy is probably in the best position to control its own demise which means that in so doing it may well simply become its own successor. The most effective way it has to do so, is to regulate the process of deregulation under way. Further attention is then addressed to the Three-year Programme for Regulatory Reform and to a number of specific deregulation measures. Although some major changes introduced or being advocated in the Japanese civil service may deeply affect the bureaucrats’ status and influence, what emerges is that, so far, the role the bureaucracy has played in planning and carrying out deregulation has remained quite central.

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Bureaucracy in Japan

Cited by 7 publications

References 3 publications

Bureaucracy and the Failure of Politics: Challenges to Democratic Governance

Bureaucracy and the Failure of Politics: Challenges to Democratic Governance

Lost in translation

Japanese Bureaucracy in Transition: Regulating Deregulation

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