Abstract

I have constructed a database of all the 7792 bills proposed by the government from the first session of the Diet in 1947 to the 144th session in 1998. I make out new indices, “schedule scale” and “schedule scale interval” in order to include bills carried over to the next session or proposed to the extraordinary session, which previous works omitted. I analyze averages of some variables of each period between general elections successively, so as to show not so much short trend as long trend of legislative process.

Around 1970, period of deliberation, such as that from proposition to passage, was prolonged for oppositions to delay deliberation, kill bills and annoy the government, while frequency of discussion in committee decreased. That is, Japanese legislative process is characterized by “long deliberation without discussion.” Contrary to expectation, it is not established in 1955 when Liberal Democratic Party Government started and the Diet Law was amended on the major points, much less in 1947 when the Diet began. Indeed, it was formulated historically and consolidated around 1970 as an equilibrium between government and opposition.Besides, after coalition governments came about since 1993, period of deliberation was lengthened much more and frequency of discussion became less active so that “long deliberation without discussion” exacerbates.As for reform of the Diet, I consider the Diet as “a deliberative arena,” referring to deliberative democracy theory.