Who's in charge? defense policy formation in Japan

Abstract

Considerable analytic effort has been expended explaining the Japanese government's economic and industrial policy formation processes. These theories, however, have seldom been applied to defense policy. This thesis tests the applicability of these theories, notably the plan-rational and principal-agent models, to the relationship between bureaucrats, the Diet, and the Cabinet during defense policy formation. The interaction between these three groups and the applicability of these two models are analyzed in case studies on Japan's ballistic missile defense program and the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. Both these case studies indicate that bureaucrats hold a subordinate position to both the Diet and Cabinet. Consequently, the plan-rational model appears to have little utility when it is applied to defense policy, but a revised principal-agent model may be applicable.