Left is right and right is left? Partisan difference on social welfare and particularistic benefits in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

Jaemin Shim

doi:10.1017/ics.2020.2

Abstract

AbstractThis paper investigates elite-level partisan differences along the socioeconomic dimension in three developed East Asian democracies – Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. On the one hand, the mainstream literature in welfare studies and party politics expects left- and right-leaning parties should vary significantly in utilizing social policy promises. On the other hand, the path dependency logic tells us that left–right difference should be found over particularistic benefits, such as agricultural subsidies or construction projects, considering that these were central means for right-leaning parties to maintain their power during the developmental state period in the three countries. Using an original bill-sponsorship data set between 1987 and 2012, we find that there has not been any substantial difference in the agenda setting of conventional social welfare bills between left- and right-wing government periods. However, a clear elective affinity can be observed between established right-wing parties and particularistic benefits. The paper shows that contextualizing key political actors' preferences can lead to a more systematic understanding of political dynamics behind the socioeconomic dimension in non-Anglo-European countries.

Highlights

In the light of the established welfare state literature, the Golden Age of welfare state expansion took place between 1950 and 1970, largely due to strong and encompassing trade unions and leftist parties (EspingAndersen, 1990; Korpi, 1983)
The traditional distinction between left and right based on class conflict became increasingly less relevant from the 1980s for various reasons, eg. changing electoral constituents the “left-wing” parties represent (Gingrich & Häusermann, 2015) or the rise of cultural cleavages based on post-material values cross-cutting class cleavage (Bornschier, 2010; Inglehart, 1997), it is hard to deny that it was a critical political factor during the welfare expansion era for Anglo-European countries
The following hypothesis can be derived in light of the fact that the three countries are devoid of clear class-based political cleavages: Hypothesis 1: There will be no difference between left- and right-leaning government periods in the prioritizing of a conventional social welfare

Summary

Introduction

In the light of the established welfare state literature, the Golden Age of welfare state expansion took place between 1950 and 1970, largely due to strong and encompassing trade unions and leftist parties (EspingAndersen, 1990; Korpi, 1983). The following hypothesis can be derived in light of the fact that the three countries are devoid of clear class-based political cleavages: Hypothesis 1: There will be no difference between left- and right-leaning government periods in the prioritizing of a conventional social welfare.

Results

Conclusion