Democratic Reform in Japan:

"This book is required reading for those interested in contemporary Japan."—Dennis P. Patterson, Journal of East Asian Studies

“An invaluable resource for understanding change and stagnancy in mature democracies.... Provides empirically nuanced, theoretically informed analyses of some of the central issues in Japanese politics today.... Essential reading for scholars and students of Japanese politics and democratic institutions alike."—Erin Chung, Pacific Affairs

"An outstanding interim report on the recent political transformation of Japan.... Although the subject matter is a moving target, the authors have analyzed the changes under way with admirable clarity.... An invaluable tool for anyone seeking to make sense of Japan’s rapidly changing political landscape."—Gregory J. Kasza, Japanese Journal of Political Science

"The contributors do not offer easy answers and instead provide nuanced arguments about the tradeoffs of democratic reforms.... A must read for all students of contemporary Japanese politics."—Mary Alice Haddad, Wesleyan University

• Introduction—the Editors.
• THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
• Reforming the Liberal Democratic Party—E.S. Krauss and R. Pekkanen.
• Campaign Behavior: The Limits to Change—D. Dabney.
• Diet Members and Seat Inheritance: Keeping It in the Family—N. Taniguchi.
• Policy Preferences and Party Platforms: What Voters Want vs. What Voters Get—G. Steel.
• Reforming the Bureaucracy—E. Kawabata.
• THE LOCAL LEVEL.
• Keeping Women in Their Place: Penetrating Male-dominated Urban and Rural Assemblies—S.L. Martin.
• Prefectural Politics: Party and Electoral Stagnation—R.J. Weiner.
• The Potential and Limits of Antiparty Electoral Movements in Local Politics—R.M. LeBlanc.
• Civil Society and Democracy: Reforming Nonprofit Organization Law—Y. Kawato and R. Pekkanen.
• CONCLUSION.
• Contemporary Japanese Democracy—the Editors.