Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Two Administrations: Successes and Failures of Domestic and Security Policies
Abstract
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes two premierships were different from one another, with his second tenure proving to be relatively successful. This study compares the two Abe administrations, focusing on agenda setting, economic policy, election tactics, and security policy. It provides relevant explanations for Abes political success in his second administration. Abes pragmatism in statecraft mainly originated from his own political experiences and was crucial for accumulating his political capital and realizing security policy. At the domestic level, political influence from former administrations, Abes unrivaled political performance within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the weakness of opposition parties, and an economic downturn influenced his political dominance. Regionally, the stronger U.S.-Japan alliance and an increase in Japans security concerns about China and North Korea supported the development of Abes security agenda. This analysis has implications for the future of Abes normalization trajectory. Abes dominance may continue; weak domestic checks and balances and the regional political situation are likely to remain the same. Abes further success will ultimately depend on the outcome of his economic policy, which, in turn, may enable his efforts to amend the constitution so that Japan can maintain its own armed forces rather than a Self-Defense Force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1031033
Entities
People
- Dae K. Lee
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School