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•    U.S.-Japan Research Institute,
     Washington D.C. (Headquarters)
    
     1875 I Street NW, Suite 512,   
     Washington, DC 20006
     Phone： 202-775-4161
     E-mail： usjp@us-jpri.org
   

U.S.-Japan Research Institute
Japan Office

c/o Strategic Management Planning Office, Office of the President, Waseda University,
Totsuka-machi 1-104, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050
Phone： +81-3-5286-8740
Fax： +81-3-5286-8385
E-mail： usjp@us-jpri.org
 

Events
USJI Event

USJI Event

Differences of Policy Formulation Processes in Japan and U.S. Parliaments: Roles of the Cabinet, Congressional Staff, Government Officials, Lobbyists, Parliamentarians, and Think Tanks

[Summary]

Date: Thursday, November 3, 2011 10:30am-12:00pm

Venue: Conference Room, JSPS/JST Washington, D.C. Office
              2001 L Street, N.W. Suite 1050 Washington, D.C. 20036 U.S.A.

Admission Fee: Free of charge

Welcome Remarks: Mr. Nobuaki Yasunaga, USJI Manager

Moderator & Speaker: Dr. Mikiyasu Nakayama, Professor, Division of Environmental Studies, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo    [Presentation file]

Speaker: Dr. Ryo Fujikura, Dean of The Graduate School of Environmental Management, Professor of the Faculty of Humanity and Environment, Hosei University    [Presentation file]

Commentator: Mr. Paul Joffe, Senior Foreign Policy Counsel, The World Resources Institute

Only 20 percent of legislation adopted in the Japanese Diet is proposed by Members of the Diet, while 80 is proposed by the Cabinet. This contrasts strikingly with the United States. Moreover, in practice, Japanese government officials draft all the Cabinet-initiated bills and Members-initiated bills by the ruling party in the Diet. Such a policy formulation processes has led to absence of lobbyists in Japan. Moreover, think tanks have a low profile in Japan, since each ministry is equipped with research institutes, which carry out research required to develop bills. Some Diet members, in particular those in opposition parties, hope to develop bills by themselves without assistance from government officials. The present Government of Japan, led by the Democratic Party, tried to avoid reliance upon government officials in policy formulation and bill development when it took power in 2009. It soon turned out impossible, for Diet members simply do not have instruments to develop bills such as congressional staff, lobbyists or think tanks. This seminar illustrates the process with which bill are developed in the Japanese Diet, in comparison with the same in the U.S. Congress. It also shows how the different policy formulation processes in two countries have led to differences in actors and their roles in two countries. Suggestions will be made if and how Japanese Diet members may strengthen their capacities to develop bill by themselves.
Dr. Mikiyasu Nakayama	Dr. Ryo Fujikura	Mr. Paul Joffe

Organized by: U.S.-Japan Research Institute (USJI)

Supported by: Keio University, Kyoto University, Ritsumeikan University, The University of Tokyo, Waseda University

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