comparative gov and politics final

• Transition from the Tokugawa shogunate to the modern Japanese state

  1. Tokugawa shogunate established in 1603

  2. Shogunate conquered and divided the daimyo

  3. Tokugawa Iemitsu implemented sakoku (isolated the country) in 1655

  4. Samurai given bureaucratic positions

  5. Merchant class rose, though they were never highly respected due to confucian principles of hierarchy

  6. 1835 commodore Matthew Perry and the Gun Boats in Edo

  7. 1868 Meiji Restoration: revolution from above

  8. Mercantilist political economic system

  9. "Rich country, strong military"

  10. Establishment of Diet (legislature)

  11. Meiji oligarchs in control

  12. WWI: received German territories in Asia

  13. Taisho Democracy (1918-1931)

  14. Military took over

  15. Great depression and instability led to rise after invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and assassination of PM in 1982 by naval cadets

  16. 1945-1952: US occupation

  17. Led by General Douglas MacArthur

  18. Demilitarization and Democratization

  19. Stopped process around 1949 as cold war rose

  20. 1947: constitution created (written by MacArthur's staff and approved with minimal revisions)

  21. Article 9: "forever renounce war as a sovereign right" peace clause

  22. Kept the emperor, but as a figure-head

  23. Birth of the Iron Triangle: bureaucrats, politicians, and business leaders
• Current Japanese political regime

  • Constitutional monarchy with a system of civil law
  • Head of state: Emperor, hereditary and patrilineal
  • Prime Minister: selected by lower house, usually short tenures and rapid transitions but stay within the same party
  • Legislative Diet: House of representatives (465 members, 4 yr terms, mix of SMDs and MMDs), House of councilors (248 seats, 6 yr terms, mix of SMDs and MMDs based on prefectures)
  • Require 2/3rd vote from both houses to change constitution, along with popular referendum: never changed
  • Supreme court has judicial review (15 members retention referendum every 10 yrs, never removed this way), court of last appeal
  • Unitary: prefecture governments are voted, but rely on federal funds for most of their revenue outside smaller taxes
• Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution


  • Renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes
  • Land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained
  • The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized
• Article 9


  • Historical Context: Created after WWII during Allied occupation
  • Pacifism: Renounces war and use of force, promoting peace
  • International Relations: Shapes Japan's foreign policy, fosters trust globally
  • Security Arrangements: Maintains Self-Defense Force for defense, reliant on alliances
  • Domestic Politics: Subject of debate, calls for revision face public opposition
• Party politics in Japan


  • Liberal Democratic Party (LDP): The dominant political party, maintains dominance through strong organization and support from various sectors, often forms coalitions
  • Coalition Governments: Common due to multiple political parties, LDP typically leads
  • Opposition Parties: Historically the Democratic Party (DP) has challenged LDP, other opposition groups like Japan Communist Party have limited influence
  • Electoral System: Mixed-member proportional representation, encourages diverse political landscape
  • Clientelism and Pork-Barrel Politics: LDP secures support through patronage networks, particularly in rural areas
• Amakudari


  • Means "descent from heaven", involves retired government officials taking up lucrative positions in private sector or affiliated organizations
  • Influence on Political Economy: Regulatory Capture, Cronyism, Policy Stagnation, Entrenched Interests
  • Reforms and Challenges: Stricter rules on post-retirement employment, cultural challenges make reforms difficult, ongoing efforts for transparency and meritocracy
• Mercantilist characteristics of the Japanese political economy

  • Industrial policy
  • Overinflated assets and the crash in the early 1990s
  • Zombies: companies that should die but don't
  • Deflation, debt, and deficits
  • Almost no FDI inside Japan, though the Japanese heavy invest outside their borders
  • Japan post bank: one of the governments tools to get access to savings for development
  • Bonds for infrastructure
• Political violence


  Violence for political purposes that is outside the states control
• Explanations of political violence

  • Institutional: Regime type, economic institutions, culture, state capacity
  • Ideational: Rationale, political attitudes or ideologies
  • Individual: Psychological factors, experiences, emotions, rational actor models
• Revolution


  A public seizure of the state in order to overturn the existing government and regime
• Terrorism


  The use of intentional violence and fear to achieve political or ideological aims, primarily against non-combatants
• Relative Deprivation Theory


  • Revolution occurs when public expectations differ from material situation, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction and revolutionary sentiment
  • Rapid economic growth or inequality between groups can trigger this divide
• Theda Skocpol's States and Social Revolution

  • Conditions need to be met for revolutions to occur and succeed
  • Competition with rival states betrays regime weakness
  • Weaker states seek to reform to boost their international power
  • Reforms upset status quo, sowing dissent in sites and discord in masses
• Causes of terrorism


  • Institutional: Poverty, lack of education, inequality, weak state capacity, lack of political access
  • Ideational: Specific ideologies, religion, nihilism
  • Individual: Alienation, humiliation, provides meaning
• Effects of terrorism


  • Usually don't get what they want directly
  • Hurts the economy
  • Increased anxiety and insecurity for population
  • Divert national resources too costly fights
  • Reduction of civil liberties and rights
  • Usually not effective to achieve political goals of organization
  • Pave the way for revolution?
• How regime type affects terror threats

  • Democracies less likely to have revolutions or domestic terrorist attacks, but more likely to have international terrorism due to privacy rights
  • Authoritarian countries typically have the least amount of terrorist attacks
  • Illiberal states more likely to experience both internal and external terrorism
• Institutional explanations of political violence

  • Weak or ineffective governance structures
  • Lack of rule of law and enforcement mechanisms
  • Institutional arrangements that marginalize or discriminate against certain groups
  • Corruption and inequality in institutions
• Ideational explanations of political violence

  • Ideological conflict
  • Identity politics
  • Ideologically driven propaganda and radicalization efforts
• Individual explanations of political violence

  • Grievances, perceived injustices, or personal grievances
  • Psychological factors like frustration, anger, or desire for revenge
  • Availability of opportunities like access to weapons or social networks
  • Lack of alternative avenues for political expression
  • Influence of charismatic leaders or figures
• Events involving the EZLN and Mexican government

  1. 1994: EZLN rebels in Chiapas, demanding indigenous rights and social justice, government and EZLN signed the San Andrés Accords

  2. 1996-2000: Government fails to fulfill promises, leading to EZLN's continued demands

  3. 2001-2012: "The Other Campaign" - EZLN tours Mexico, forming alliances for social justice

  4. 2013-Present: EZLN educates supporters and critics of mainstream politics, continues struggle for indigenous rights and autonomy

  5. Relationship with Mexican Government: Clashes, peace talks, promises, varied response from neglect to repression, EZLN remains autonomous
• Chiapas has many indigenous people, like the Mayans, who were often poor and treated unfairly
• A few rich landowners owned most of the land, while many indigenous people had little access to land or jobs
• Chiapas was very poor and lacked basic services like schools and hospitals
• Indigenous people had little say in government decisions and were often ignored
• Indigenous communities were fed up with injustice and discrimination, so they formed the EZLN to fight for their rights
• On January 1, 1994, the EZLN rebelled against the government to demand fair treatment and better rights for indigenous people
• The EZLN's rebellion gained attention worldwide, especially through the internet, and people from around the world supported their cause
• Even after peace talks, the government didn't fully fix the problems, leading to ongoing tension and occasional violence in Chiapas
• Current Mexican regime


  • Presidential system of government, with a strong executive role
  • Federal republic with balance of power between central government and regional states
  • Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) dominated for much of 20th century through patronage, clientelism, and suppression of opposition
  • Rich history of indigenous civilizations, Spanish colonization, and mestizo (mixed-race) heritage
  • Challenges of corruption and crime, exacerbated by drug cartels and organized crime
• Mexico transitioned to a federal republic in the 19th century following independence from Spain in 1821
• Federal system in Mexico


  • Designed to balance power between the central government and regional states, reflecting Mexico's diverse geography and history of regionalism
• The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) emerged as the dominant political force in Mexico following the Mexican Revolution
• PRI's rule in Mexico

  Maintained power through a combination of patronage, clientelism, and suppression of opposition, known as the "perfect dictatorship"
• Mexico's identity is shaped by its rich history of indigenous civilizations, Spanish colonization, and mestizo (mixed-race) heritage
• Indigenous communities, despite their contributions to Mexican culture, faced marginalization and discrimination throughout much of the country's history
• Corruption and crime have long been challenges in Mexico, exacerbated by the influence of drug cartels and organized crime syndicates
• Historical legacies of corruption, impunity, and state repression have contributed to the persistence of these issues
• Mexico underwent economic reforms in the late 20th century, including liberalization of markets and privatization of state-owned enterprises
• These reforms aimed to modernize the economy and attract foreign investment, particularly in the wake of the 1982 debt crisis
• Mexico has struggled with high levels of income inequality and poverty since colonial times, exacerbated by patterns of land concentration and exploitation