Class Year
2020
Document Type
Article
Date of Creation
4-15-2018
Department 1
Political Science
Abstract
Has Japan’s post-Second World War transformation into one of the most militarily capable nations been the result of 60 years of truly representative government? This research compares government-collected opinion polls to policy trends and actions, to determine whether the case of Japan’s remilitarization argues for or against the country’s democratic quality. For the purpose of this research, the size of Japan’s military and its legislative freedom to act as a more conventional military were considered the most pertinent militarization policies. Results indicated that those policies were consistently unjustified by measured opinion, suggesting elitist policy formation. However, other policy areas, such as Japan’s military budget, participation in UN peacekeeping, and national defense capability, have indicated a more pluralist model of policy formation. Therefore, results suggest that the country’s remilitarization has been the product of both elitist and pluralist governance.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Madison, Cory. "Tracking public support for Japan’s remilitarization policies: An examination of elitist and pluralist governance." Asian Journal of Comparative Politics (2018).
Required Publisher's Statement
Original version available online at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2057891118764354
Comments
Produced as part of the Gettysburg College Kolbe Summer Fellows Program in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences during Summer 2017.