| Summary: | This article examines Japan’s policymaking capacities necessary to address the issue
of low fertility, while harnessing the process-oriented theories of policy studies.
The author asks why Japan’s policy to increase fertility has not worked as well
as some other countries whose efforts have proven more successful. The focus of
this study is on process-oriented capacities, which can be defined as an ability of
actors involved to avoid conflicts and cooperate on solutions at each stage of the
policy cycle. To explore these capacities, or the preconditions for enabling policy
options available for the actors, the policy process is investigated using process
tracing observations for causal inferences drawing on governmental data, insights
from policymakers, comprehensive literature reviews, and pertinent news reports.
The author contends that the involvement of broker-entrepreneurs, who recognize
opportunities and navigate obstacles, plays a pivotal role in preventing conflicts
among stakeholders. Nevertheless, empirical data indicates that merely sidestepping
conflicts does not necessarily enable policy effectiveness.
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