How interest groups changed their political strategy in the process of deregulation?

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the change of political strategy of interest groups in the process of deregulation. Since 1980s, in Japan, the problem of government regulation has been argued and deregulation has been done in several industries by government committees under the direct control of Prime Minister. This deregulation has affected the political environment of interest groups. First, according to the change of the style of regulation, the relationship between interest groups and regulatory agencies has changed. Second, the arena of regulatory policymaking has transferred from regulatory agencies to government committee. And we found that these changes have increased the importance of discourse for interest groups, and they have changed their political strategy.
  To examine these changes, we analyze the process of deregulation and reregulation in taxi industry from the viewpoints of discourse. First, in the process of deregulation, the discourse to claim the merit of competition had the power to persuade the public, and also formed the discursive coalition to promote the reform. Second, in the process of reregulation, the discourse to claim the negative effect of deregulation, especially on the decline of salary of taxi drivers, had changed the problem recognition of public on deregulation, and also could form the another discursive coalition from several actors.