A Study Of The Policy Decision-making Process Under The Domination Of The Japanese Prime Minister’s Office

A glance at the changes in Japan’s policy decision-making system in the post-war period reveals that the dominance of the Prime Minister’s residence in the policy decision-making process is a product of the 21 st century.In the early post-war period,bureaucrats were once the dominant force in Japan’s policy-making process due to the need for a state-led economic development model and their own high level of expertise.As the domestic and international environment changed and the shortcomings of bureaucratic dominance became apparent,the politician-led model,with the ’clan members’ at its core,emerged as the mainstream.However,whether it is bureaucratic or politician-led,both will ultimately be on the same side,colluding with interest groups to form an unbreakable ’iron triangle’.This ’bottom-up’ policy-making process has seriously undermined the authority of the Prime Minister.Beginning with Ichiro Ozawa,the Prime Minister gradually introduced administrative reforms in an attempt to reduce the power of bureaucrats and politicians and increase the Prime Minister’s position in policy-making.Finally,under the Koizumi cabinet,the Prime Minister’s residence became the dominant force.The Prime Minister’s residence was the dominant force in the policy-making process.The Prime Minister’s residence,by exaggerating the security crisis in Japan on the grounds of changes in the surrounding environment,negotiated with experts,scholars,senior bureaucrats and politicians,and completed the creation of the new security bill in spite of the opposition of many forces.In the planning of the decision,the Prime Minister’s official residence reached a basic consensus on the new security bill by communicating with social groups,especially lawyers’ groups and politicians,and eliminating major differences.In the legalisation of the decision,the Prime Minister’s official residence played and compromised with politicians within the ruling party and opposition politicians to achieve the legalisation of the new security bill,even though resistance still existed.The model of policy-making led by the Prime Minister’s residence has the advantages of efficient policy-making,consistent policy and strategic policy,but it also suffers from a decline in policy quality,bureaucratic "guesswork" and weak monitoring of the policy-making process.The enactment of the new security bill under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s residence shows that the independence of policy-making subjects is a prerequisite for enhancing the quality of policy creation,especially the participation of multiple subjects is the main force for enhancing the creative quality of policy decision-making;the collaboration of multiple subjects is an important condition for enhancing the scientific planning of policy decision-making;the necessary political communication is an important channel for legitimising policy decision-making,and a moderate political compromise is a subjective guarantee for legitimising policy-making.The necessary political communication is an important channel to legitimise policy decisions,and moderate political compromise is a subjective guarantee for the legitimisation of policy decisions.