2020 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 105-119
This paper analyses survey results on the Local Revitalisation Policy（LRP）enacted in Japan in 2014, by focusing on differences in answers provided by the merger and non-merger municipalities of the governmental campaign that took place around 2000（Heisei-no-Dai-Gappei）. To evaluate municipality mergers as a policy tool, a case study on Japan was taken into consideration and compared with（non-）merger cases in France, aiming to construct the general theory of its conditions and effects. It was found that ‘non-mergers’ were not strongly influenced by LRP and did not feel obliged to cooperate with neighbours as the LRP desired. On the other hand, they were likely to cooperate with industries, according to their actual and potential partnerships. It cannot be determined whether ‘mergers’ have developed their own competencies as was desired, although they seem to have decreased the extent of democratic participation because their decision-making takes place inside their office. However, they can take relatively more aggressive actions towards other local and central governments without onerous coordination with neighbours.
