Karol Zakowski Knihy

Focusing on Japan's political landscape during the Democratic Party of Japan's administration from 2009 to 2012, the book analyzes the shortcomings in the party's decision-making processes. By employing historical institutionalism, it reveals the DPJ's rigidity in adopting elements of the Westminster system, inconsistencies in decision-making reforms, and a failure to leverage available institutional resources effectively. The study provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by the DPJ in implementing successful policies.

Focusing on the institutional reforms during Abe Shinz's second term from 2012 to 2020, the book explores the shifting dynamics within Japanese politics. It highlights the changing roles of key political actors, including bureaucrats, factions of the Liberal Democratic Party, and backbenchers, providing insight into how these elements influenced governance and policy-making in Japan during this period.

This book evaluates the impact of the 2001 central government reforms on effective foreign policy making in Japan. It puts a special focus on the evolution of the domestic institutional factors and decision-making processes behind Japan’s foreign policy, while also analyzing the development of Japan’s external relations with various other countries, such as the US, China and North Korea. Adhering to the neoclassical realist approach, the authors show that, thanks to a more independent Kantei-based form of diplomacy, Japan’s prime ministers were able to strategically respond to international developments, and to pursue their own diplomatic endeavors more boldly. At the same time, they demonstrate that the effectiveness of this proactive posture was still heavily dependent on the decision-makers’ ability to form cohesive coalitions and select suitable institutional tools, which enabled them to influence domestic and international affairs.