Political Authority and Bureaucratic Resilience

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This article discusses the nature of administrative reform in Japan. It analyses government strategies of reform in relation to the nature of bureaucracy and political authority. There is interaction between bureaucrats and politicians, characterized by cooperation among those sharing common expertise. However, such cooperation results in weaker political authority over bureaucracy. Administrative reform in Japan has not failed entirely, but it has been constrained by this lack of political authority. Radical marketization and civil service reform are not evident in Japan's experience of reform. The recent coalition governments have not exhibited the political authority necessary to implement practices reminiscent of NPM policies elsewhere. While some political realignment is evident, and some of the power of the bureaucracy has declined leading to a comparative advantage of political authority, public management in Japan may not be much different in the next century, apart from incremental changes due to the institutionalization of accountability and modest performance management measures.