Questions and Answers
What was the initial plan for Japan's wartime bureaucracy?
What is the term used to describe Japan's postwar state featuring a core elite of bureaucrats, politicians, and business leaders?
What is the main criticism of Japan's political structure?
What is the outcome of Japan's remarkable postwar development credited to?
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What is the term used to describe Japan's type of government?
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What is the result of the persistence of Japan's ruling triad?
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What is the main feature of Japan's political regime?
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What is the controversy surrounding Japan's democracy?
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What type of government does Japan have?
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What role does the Prime Minister play in Japan's government?
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Which of the following is a feature of Japan's political structure, as described in the passage?
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What does the passage suggest about the relationship between recent generations of Japanese citizens and the monarchy?
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How does the passage describe the selection of the Prime Minister in Japan?
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What is a key aspect of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as described in the passage?
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What is the primary function of the Diet in Japan?
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What is the significance of events like Akihito's abdication and Naruhito's coronation in Japan, according to the passage?
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What type of electoral system is used for the House of Representatives in Japan?
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Which body serves as the chief judicial authority in Japan?
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What is the primary characteristic of the Japanese government structure?
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What was one key reform aimed at changing electoral competition in Japan?
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In Japan's political structure, the cabinet is primarily responsible to which body?
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Which demographic change prompted a reapportioning of electoral districts in Japan?
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What was a significant outcome of the American framers in the establishment of the Japanese constitution?
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What significant change regarding voting age occurred in Japan in 2015?
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What major cultural aspect has influenced Japan's political practices over time?
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What is characterized as arguably the most influential institution in Japan's policy-making?
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Japan's legislative structure?
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What was one of the primary goals of the 1994 electoral reforms in Japan?
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Which aspect of Japan's government highlights its historical continuity?
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Which aspect of the political structure did the reforms in Japan particularly target?
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What mechanism does the Japanese government use to ensure voter registration?
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What type of political competition was diminished by the electoral reforms in Japan?
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What is the relationship between the central government and local prefectural governments in Japan?
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What concept describes the collaboration between senior bureaucrats, conservative politicians, and corporate executives in Japan?
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Which statement accurately reflects the funding situation of prefectural governments in Japan?
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What method is commonly used in Japan to communicate policy directives to the private sector?
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How does the Japanese national government exert control over local governors?
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What form of government is Japan classified as?
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What percentage of autonomy do local governments in Japan have in regards to their decision-making?
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Which of the following groups has historically been well taken care of by the ruling party in Japan?
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Study Notes
Political Regime
- Japan has a legislative-executive system with a parliamentary legislature called the Diet.
- The Diet consists of a lower house (House of Representatives) and an upper house (House of Councillors).
- Japan is a unitary state with 47 administrative divisions called prefectures.
- The electoral system for the lower house is a mixed system with single-member districts and proportional representation.
- The chief judicial body is the Supreme Court.
Branches of Government
- The head of state is the Emperor of Japan, who has the oldest unbroken line of monarchs in the world.
- The Prime Minister serves as the head of government and is responsible to the Diet.
- The cabinet is made up of ministers who serve as heads of Japan's 19 bureaucratic ministries and other key agencies.
The Prime Minister and the Cabinet
- The Prime Minister is the head of government and draws from the Diet at least the majority of cabinet members.
- Faction leaders in the ruling party typically broker the selection process and rotate the office of the Prime Minister among various factions.
Other Institutions
- The bureaucracy is an influential institution in Japan's policy-making process.
- The Japanese civil service is smaller in size but greater in influence than its Western counterparts.
- The iron triangle of bureaucrats, politicians, and business leaders has persisted throughout Japan's post-war history.
Local Government
- Japan is divided into 47 administrative divisions called prefectures, each with its own elected governor and legislature.
- Local governments decide many local issues and can raise sufficient taxes to cover about one-third of their expenditures.
- The central government delegates local authority and can override the decisions of local governors.
Electoral System
- The electoral system for the lower house was reformed in 1994 to introduce a mixed system with single-member districts and proportional representation.
- The reform aimed to shift electoral competition away from personalized factional politics and local candidate-based campaign organizations.
- The minimum age for voting was lowered from 20 to 18 in 2015.
Iron Triangle
- The iron triangle refers to the close alliance between senior bureaucrats, conservative politicians, and big-business executives.
- This triad has limited the political influence of Japanese citizens and other pluralist interests.
- The iron triangle has been credited for Japan's post-war development and blamed for its recent economic troubles.
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Description
Learn about the political regime of Japan, including its legislative-executive system, parliamentary legislature, and branches of government.