Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter?

Japan’s level of defense spending relative to the size of its economy has been anomalously low among the major industrialized countries. Much of the literature on Japan’s national security suggests that antimilitarist public sentiment constraints Japanese defense budgeting. A substantial amount of r...

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Main Author: Takao, Yasuo
Format: Journal Article
Published: Canadian Center of Science and Education 2011
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/15070
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author Takao, Yasuo
author_facet Takao, Yasuo
author_sort Takao, Yasuo
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description Japan’s level of defense spending relative to the size of its economy has been anomalously low among the major industrialized countries. Much of the literature on Japan’s national security suggests that antimilitarist public sentiment constraints Japanese defense budgeting. A substantial amount of research is methodologically descriptive and the policy impact of Japanese public opinion is largely presumed but not closely tested. This study tested the relationship between Japanese public opinion and defense spending. In the process of testing, the existing measurement theory, which has accounted for cases in Western Europe and the Unites States, has been found inadequate to explain the Japanese causal link. With the introduction of alternative measurements, this study found that Japanese public opinion does uniquely constrain defense budget decisions.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-150702017-01-30T11:47:45Z Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter? Takao, Yasuo Japan’s level of defense spending relative to the size of its economy has been anomalously low among the major industrialized countries. Much of the literature on Japan’s national security suggests that antimilitarist public sentiment constraints Japanese defense budgeting. A substantial amount of research is methodologically descriptive and the policy impact of Japanese public opinion is largely presumed but not closely tested. This study tested the relationship between Japanese public opinion and defense spending. In the process of testing, the existing measurement theory, which has accounted for cases in Western Europe and the Unites States, has been found inadequate to explain the Japanese causal link. With the introduction of alternative measurements, this study found that Japanese public opinion does uniquely constrain defense budget decisions. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/15070 Canadian Center of Science and Education fulltext
spellingShingle Takao, Yasuo
Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter?
title Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter?
title_full Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter?
title_fullStr Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter?
title_full_unstemmed Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter?
title_short Democratic Representation in Japanese Defense Spending: Does Public Sentiment Really Matter?
title_sort democratic representation in japanese defense spending: does public sentiment really matter?
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/15070