Abstract
The public assistance system mainly based on the Daily Life Security Law is one of policies through which relief to "the poor and needy" is realized. However, important subjects and the method of the system are determined by the running of the administration. For instance, an actual subject is supposed to be judged from the difference between the minimum standard of living calculated from the public assistance standards within a certain range and the amount of income identified. This paper traces the process of working out the method of that judgment of necessity, and examines the mechanism of selecting "the poor and needy". The analysis focuses on the "guidelines" that the Ministry of Health and Welfare provides to workers and the Journal of "Life and Welfare" is used as the main source to trace the "guidelines". Consequently, it was demonstrated that the mechanism of selecting "the poor and needy" has been gradually constructed and maintained while being revised. Furthermore, considering the contradictions in the operation of the system, it is thought to be necessary to analyze the policy process, including not only the decision but also the plan, the formation, and the execution of the method of operating the law.
