Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Objectives and Organization

The semester is divided into two parts. After a two-week general introduction to Japan and to the dominant approaches to the study of Japanese history, politics and society, we will begin exploring four aspects of Japanese politics:

1. Party politics
2. Electoral politics
3. Interest group politics
4. Bureaucratic politics

The second part of the semester focuses on public policy, divided into the following seven policy areas:

1. Social policy
2. Foreign policy
3. Defense policy
4. Energy policy
5. Science and technology policy
6. Industrial policy
7. Trade policy

Requirements

Reading, attendance and participation are required of all students. Additional requirements are determined based on the level of the student, as follows:

Undergraduates

Special discussion sessions for undergraduates are also required.

Graduate Students