The U. S. -Japan Trade Friction
The Impact of the Rise of the Liberal-Democratic Party
1988 Volume 1988 Issue 11 Pages 47-64
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1988 Volume 1988 Issue 11 Pages 47-64
As far as policy-making goes, the weight of the ministerial and other organs of nation-al government is on the descendence while that of the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) through its Policy Board is on the ascendence. This party-above-government trend seems to be accelerating.
As a political party, LDP shapes its political will through the activities of its Policy Board. Legislative bills, reflecting LDP'S will, are presented to the Diet. Budgetary bills, law enacting bills and LDP'S policies are all deliberated by the Policy Board before they go to the Diet. Under the system of parliamentary democracy and government by parties, it is quite natural that the Policy Board as the organ of LDP to adjust, determine and push party policies should acquire powerful influence. In the recent years, the weight of the Policy Board has been steadily waxing.
Over a long period of time starting with the decade of confusion immediately follow-ing the end of World War II and ending with the years of rapid economic growth, the Policy Board played no more than the role of a cheer leader for the bureaucratic machines of the executive branch of government. But its function took a turn when the country become menaced with fiscal crisis on the do-mestic scene and forced into involvement in summit diplomacy on the internapional scene. Figuratively speaking, the needs have been expanding while the pie has not; the adjustments required are so complex and extensive that the bureaucratic machines cannot handle them because of their vertical structure and their fierce jealousy of jurisdictional turfs. It is this situation that brought to fore those politicians who have learned the bureaucratic know-how of policy-making and are well versed in the art of arbitrating between con-flicting interest.
The problem is, however, that the broiler “common good” is of secondery concern to these people. This is one of the biggest rea-sons market liberalization in Japan has so far proceeded only at a snail's pace. Liberal Demacratic politicians must learn to negoti-ate with the U.S. from a broad and balanced perspective.
