Reluctant Professionalism:The Decision Making Process of the DPJ Government on the MCAS Futenma Issue
Author: Shih-Hui Li
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
After coming to power on September 16, 2009, the key priority for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) government was to enforce its manifesto, which aimed to weaken bureaucrats and produce a more pluralistic decision making mechanism. Based on these principles, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama reviewed the issue of the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma (MCAS Futenma). Two key factors were at work: first, wresting control of the decision making process from professional bureaucrats, and, second, giving the Cabinet Office predominance in the policy domain. During the nine-month period of the Hatoyama Cabinet, pluralist decision-making dominated, resulting in conflict with the professionalized bureaucracy. However, exclusion of bureaucrats from decision-making led to policy failure. As a result, the subsequent Kan and Noda premierships were forced to return to the bureaucratic policy-making system. This change contradicted DPJ manifesto principles, and was regarded as a compromise in the face of political reality. This compromise might be labeled as “reluctant professionalism.”