Abstract
Professor Tani's study adopts a positivist approach widely recognized in the political science during 1980s through the work of Michael Michizuki and Tomoaki Iwai. Their middle range perspectives called 'viscosity model' and 'hurdle race model', however, have some fragile aspects, constructed and depending on changeable variables such as LDP's permanent stay in power, 'middle-sized electoral district system' among others. Professor Tani tries to find out what has changed and what has not in the Japan's parliamentary legislation process after many of these conditions were actually altered when LDP slipped off the power in 1993. He picked up the legislation process of 'NPO Act', which he regards typically reflected the new political environment. He thus reviews the validity of the previous models and tries to formulate new perspective on the new situation. Whether his new model was successfully and persuasively discussed in his presentation, however, remains arguable. Even more fundamental criticism may be that in what sense his discussion can be considered as that of socio-legal study, not solely that of political science. It is perhaps necessary to include theories of law and wider perspectives on social processes and social change in addition to those on political systems and actors.
