Conservative Democracy and American Alliance 19511972

1
Conservative Democracy and American Alliance
(1951-1972)

• Political System after 1951
• Foreign Relations

2
Political System after 1951

• Fundamental change in political process regular
  parliamentary politics
• Reverse course after 1951
• Close relationship between bureaucracy, big
  business and conservative party in
  decision-making
• Criticism Japan Inc. and consequences of the
  American alliancesurrogate imperialism

3
Political System after 1951

• Background of the reverse course fear of
  international communism
• De-purge and Red Purge (constrain labor unions)
• Recentralization in police, education,
• Yoshida policy American alliance and economic
  growth
• Alliance of socialist groups (1955) and merge of
  two conservative parties (LDP)

4
Political System after 1951

• LDPs constituency business, the farm vote, men
  of influence rather than a genuine popular base
• Factions identified with leaders and rivaled for
  party leader to dispense government posts
• Close relations with bureaucracy ex-bureaucrats
  often appointed to political office
• Close relations with business Chamber of
  Commerce, Nikkeiren, Keidanren (campaign fund
  over 90)
• opposition Socialists, Communists, fragmentation
  and lack of a popular base, and the new
  opposition Buddhist Party (Komeito)
• Illegal campaign spending and public criticism of
  system

5
Foreign Relations

• Popular protest to Yoshidas foreign policy but
  majority accept it by the end of 1960s.
• Increased military spending to pacify Americans
  but to scare its neighbors
• Relations with Soviet Union, South Korea, China
  (implications with American alliance)