Japan's policy formation process has significantly shifted since the late 1990s. The trend from so-called "bureaucrat-led" to "politician-led" and "Prime Minister's Office-led" has been accelerating. This is mainly because the former method of policy formation, in which the government ministries and agencies coordinate with related parties to develop optimal solutions for each area, is no longer functioning.
Issues such as economic stagnation, fiscal problems, globalization, declining and aging populations with fewer children, energy and environmental matters, new technologies, widening inequality, job mobility, rural exhaustion, disasters and infectious diseases, and loneliness and isolation are becoming increasingly difficult to solve using the policy formation method for each ministry's area.
In addition, traditional bureaucrat-driven policy formation by ministry has been mediated by intermediary organizations that organize people in similar positions. While this approach worked well during the high-growth period, the fact that intermediary organizations' organizational strength and opinion aggregation functions have declined due to the diversification and mobility of people's lifestyles and values is a significant reason why traditional policy formation is finding it challenging to derive optimal solutions.
In addition, the political situation has changed dramatically with the introduction of a parallel constituency-based proportional representation system in the House of Representatives and the expansion of the independent voter base. It is no longer possible to be elected with the support of a specific support group alone, and the key to elections is to gather the support of independents. Under the single-seat constituency system, in which only one person can be elected, the election is a choice between the ruling party and the opposition party, and the cabinet's approval rating at the time has become a significant factor in the outcome of the election. In fact, in 2009 and 2012, we experienced a change in government. A person in office must always maintain a high approval rating, or the ruling party will launch a campaign to topple the government. To ensure the smooth running of the administration, it became necessary for the center of the administration to quickly come up with measures to deal with high-profile issues that directly affect the approval rating.
On the public side, there has been a significant shift in how people obtain information from the major media to the Internet and social networking services. This is especially true among the younger generation. Since the proliferation of SNS in the 2010s, there have been an increasing number of instances in which the voices of unorganized voters have become visible and diffused, leading to the reversal of policies once decided by the government and ruling parties.
Amid these changes in socioeconomic and political conditions and people's lives, it is believed that the prime minister's initiative was the demand of the times. To realize this, mechanisms have been put in place, such as the creation of the Cabinet Office, the establishment of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, etc., and the centralization of senior bureaucratic personnel appointments by the Cabinet Personnel Bureau.
It is a good thing that policies have been able to move quickly and significantly, taking into account the needs of the people. Still, the system for appropriately consolidating opinions based on evidence in the policy formation process has yet to be established in this society, and sometimes policies are formulated that misinterpret the community's needs. The policy-making process in this country is still in the process of change, and further progress is needed.
The country's future needs to clarify the changes in the policy-making process, where we are now, and what we should do to establish an ideal policy-making process.
To this end, it is essential for citizens, companies, NPOs, and other private sectors, as well as local governments, who have information that can serve as seeds for policies, to provide solid input to politicians and bureaucrats at the center of the policy formation process, rather than leaving it to politicians and bureaucrats, who are engaged in policy-making as their primary business. They must provide solid input to the politicians and bureaucrats at the center of the policy-making process. Public relations strategies that include the support of the media, experts, and influencers will also become essential to gather the support of more people needed to realize policies. In other words, more than ever before, there is an increasing need to build a collaborative policy-making process that transcends sectors.
This is more than just an issue for those who want to create policies. It is also essential for citizens and those trying to develop and expand business in the corporate and social sectors. When we grow our activities to advance our activities or to solve problems, we are bound to run into issues of rules and systems. For example, to promote the implementation of AI, automated driving, drone technology, and iPS cell technology, it is necessary to change existing laws and regulations that do not anticipate such new technologies in parallel with research and development. If this is completed, the research results will reach fewer people than possible, hindering business. In turn, we must catch up to other countries regarding the economy.
SFC students have a variety of career paths, including employment in large companies, research, the social sector, and entrepreneurship, in addition to those who pursue a career in public service or other policy-related fields. Whichever path they take, if they want to make a significant change for the better in society, it is highly effective for students to learn methods for constructing and participating in the policy formation process of the future. Our lectures aim to improve students' ability to solve social issues through dialogue with guest lecturers who can serve as models for practitioners in such diverse sectors.