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GPI Brief no. 9 (April 2009)

2009-04-01 (水)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no. 9 (April 2009)	Table of Contents and Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note The New “East Asia Architecture” and Japan’s Asia Policy.........2 Kiyoto Tsuji (GPI Fellow and Research Associate, CSIS Japan Chair) In recent years, an “East Asia Community” scheme has been discussed by many policy experts as a feasible and necessary framework for the region in the coming years. However, an inclusive yet effective institution is yet to be sought, and with existing multilateral institutions such as APEC, ASEAN, and EAS in the picture, Asia is diverse and complex to say the least. Based on results from a recent CSIS survey conducted in nine countries, this article will try to make a realistic assessment of an Asian architecture, and in this context, provide analyses and recommendations for Japan on its Asia policy.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note The Call for Independent Policy Evaluation Institutions in Japan: The Accelerated Globalization and Case of Pandemic Influenza.........4 Mika Shimizu (GPI Co-Director and Visiting Scholar, East-West Center) Few independent policy evaluation institutions exist in Japan: Although some experts have advocated the necessities since 1990s, we hardly see the progress yet. The absence of the institutions may affect seriously how to cope with urgent issues linked with the accelerated globalization. This paper points out how the characteristics of the accelerated globalization are related with the roles of the independent evaluation by addressing the case of pandemic influenza.
	"Policy Research" Note "The Disaster Prevention New Deal" to Cope with the Current Financial and Economic Crisis in Japan.........7 Shohei Beniya (Researcher, Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution) This paper proposes “The Disaster Prevention New Deal” for Japan to cope with the current financial and economic crisis. Despite the high probability of having massive earthquakes in the near future, a large number of Japanese houses and public facilities are not yet reinforced against such disasters. “The New Deal” is an efficient and effective measure not only as a public spending to stimulate the economy but also as an investment in disaster prevention to reduce the risks of losing human lives and properties in the future disasters. Essay East Asian Community and Its Goal.........10 Hirotsugu Koike (GPI Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief Editorial Writer, The Nikkei)

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GPI Brief no. 8 (January 2009)

2009-01-31 (土)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no. 8 (January 2009)	Table of Contents and Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note Direction of the Obama Administration’s East Asia Diplomacy.........2 Tsuneo Watanabe (GPI Policy Expert Member and Research Fellow, The Tokyo Foundation) Obama administration is challenged by financial/economic crisis and security crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In order to maintain stability in both economy and security in the East Asia and the world, Obama diplomacy would avoid confrontation with China in a short term. Obama transition team appointed both Japan and China experts for its East Asia team. Obama team also continues to appreciate bilateral alliance with Japan as a hedge against China’s unpredictable future. Japan should not worry about closer US-China relations too much. At the same time, Japan is required to shape its East Asian policy with its own initiative in multilateral frameworks beyond its traditional bilateral thinking on the US-Japan alliance.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note Global Financial Crisis and Japanese Employment Policy.........5 Erika Wada (Researcher, Peterson Institute for International Economics) The global economy is in the middle of financial crisis, and Japanese economy has been slowing down at the fastest pace since the World War II. Why Japanese economy is in such a bad shape despite Japanese financial institutions operate relatively better than their counterparts in the US and Europe? One of the keys for this situation can be found in Consumer Confidence Survey which shows job-loss anxiety is going up tremendously. Some argues that temporary workers should be regulated in manufacturing sector. However, in order to improve Japanese firms’competitiveness in the global economy, and to address the labor shortage in the near future, labor mobility should not be regulated. Instead, the only effective way to provide flexible working style and to reduce job-loss anxiety will be to introduce and implement equal pay for equal jobs policy.
	"Policy Research" Note Food Security through Systematic Data Schemes.........9 Kanichiro Matsumura (Associate Professor of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University) The progress of Information Technology and Internet Networks provide useful information on the global demand and supply for food. The demand for food is a function of income and price, and the supply for food is a function of yield and cultivated land. The yield is influenced by precipitation, temperature, and soil conditions. Cultivated areas are influenced by urban expansion and human activities. Combining these different kinds of data systematically will help us to understand the demand and supply structure for food at the global level. Thus, future prospects of food price may be possible, which will lead to establishing food security system. Essay Pursuing Maximum Development Impact through Private-Public Partnerships.........15 Yasuko Fumuro (Vice President for Public Relations, Microfinance International Corporation)

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GPI Brief no. 7 (December 2008)

2008-12-29 (月)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no. 7 (December 2008)	Table of Contents and Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note The Liberal Democrats as a Driving Force for Winning the U.S. Presidential Election in 2008.........2 Masahito Watanabe (Visiting Fellow, Sigur Center for Asian Studies, George Washington University) In US Presidential Elections, the policy positions and the roles of organized constituency groups in the Republicans and Democrats, especially which contributes to a specific party winning the Presidential Election, are sometimes significant to read where the new administration is going. This paper argues the liberal Democrats are one of the most important supporters for Barack Obama from the early stage of his campaign. The paper will also examine specific issues Liberals will try to make key to the new administration. Those initiatives could be a crucial element in the Liberal political dynamics and an interesting opportunity for the relationship between Japan and the United States.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note What Is Special about the Current Financial Crisis?.........5 Nobusuke Tamaki (Executive Advisor to the Governor, Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan) Although we have experienced some economic or financial crises since the end of the World War Second, what is special about the current financial crisis is its wide-ranging, diminished market liquidity. The Unite States has tried to address the issue not only by Treasury's introducing the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) or FRB's aggressively conducting buying operations, but also by establishing various new financial policy instruments. While financial policy instruments as well as perceptions for fiscal policies are changing, both theories behind policies and practical ability to respond to such crises are being verified. What is challenging is, from these experiences, to create new ways of thinking and institutions that support policies for stable financial markets.
	"Policy Research" Note The Challenge of an East Asian Community.........7 Tomoyoshi Nakajima (Associate Senior Researcher, The Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia) In recent years in East Asia, intraregional economic linkages, such as trade, have been strengthened rapidly. Based on such a de facto economic integration, the movement toward pushing an institutional integration has been in progress internationally, centered on the ASEAN plus Three Summit Meeting, where the concept of “an Asian Economic community” has been proposed. However, given the major issues, including the gaps in income between the countries of East Asia, the lack of democratic maturity, and the deficiencies in the rule of law, we should not necessarily be rushed into its embodiment. GPI Forum in Kansai—Highlight.........9

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GPI Brief no. 5 (July 2008)

2008-07-31 (木)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no. 5 (July 2008)	Table of Contents and Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note Building a Framework to Address the Challenge of Global Aging.........2 Keisuke Nakashima (GPI Co-Director and Research Associate, Global Aging Initiative, Center for Strategic & International Studies) In an era of ever-intensifying globalization, the impact of population aging goes beyond borders. In other words, it not only overturns social, economic, and political premises within a county but it also does so between and across countries. The word, “Global Aging”, was born from an increasing awareness that to effectively cope with the challenge of global demographic transformation it will be required to establish a new international framework for policy corporation and coordination in this area. The article examines some of the leading initiatives in Europe and North America and proposes for Japan to establish the National Strategic Council (NSC) at Prime Minister’s Office.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note Lessons from EU’s Impasse for Policies to Cope with Globalization.........4 Miki Kase (Visiting Fellow, American Enterprise Institute) Facing rapid globalization, the European Union (EU) seeks more efficient policy making and to exert the kind of influence befitting its size. But the EU citizens’ lack of trust in the undemocratic policy making process and the policy makers is inhibiting its deepening in areas outside trade. This article examines the past and current policy process in the EU, and articulates policy lessons for responses to the globalizing world.
	"Policy Research" Note How Should Japan Formulate Its Energy Strategy?.........7 Shoichi Itoh (Associate Senior Researcher, The Economic Research Institute for Northeast Asia) This essay revisits the concept of energy security, which has been widely discussed amidst today’s rising energy prices. It also proposes a strategy for Japan, including an idea of regional cooperation in Northeast Asia. When it comes to energy security, associated policies are likely to be justified in the name of national interests, leading to an intensifying "scramble over resources" internationally. The concept of energy security, however, has multifarious implications. In a sense, Japan has a highly stable balance between its energy supply and demand—notwithstanding being a "resource-poor" country—and thus has no need to participate in a "scramble over resources." In Northeast Asia that includes China with its surging energy demand and Russia with its huge potential as a supplier, Japan should take a vigorous initiative to bring about a "positive-sum effect" rather than a "zero-sum competition." Essay Japan Left Behind Globalization.........10 Takehiko Kajita (Staff Correspondent, Kyodo News, Washington Bureau) GPI Brief の特徴と枠組み.........12 English Abstracts.........13

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GPI Brief no. 4 (May 2008)

2008-05-31 (土)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no.4 (May 2008)	Table of Contents and Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note The Emerging Global Carbon.........2 Chikara Furuya (Senior Economist, Institute for International Monetary Affairs) While there has been an increasing interest in the global environmental issues, more and more financial institutions have been going green, by applying their financial system, knowledge, and technology to solve the problems. The article provides an overview of two notable trends in “the environmentalization of financial services,” that is, emerging new environmental businesses and growing global carbon markets, and it also discusses their challenges and opportunities.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note Globalization in Security Issues, Japan’s Diplomacy, and Japan-US Alliance.........6 Katsuhisa Furukawa (Research Fellow, Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society) In today’s globalized environment, issues such as climate change, infectious diseases, poverty, or disaster management are seen as important agenda for international security. However, Japan’s diplomacy has not yet effectively integrated “new stakeholders” who addresses these new security challenges. Japan’s diplomacy and Japan-US alliance needs more robust integration of new stakeholders, including those in charge of law enforcement, development, public health, transportation, and science and technology, in addition to the traditional ones which primarily consists of diplomats and defense officials. It is critical that there be communication between new and traditional stakeholders and the nurturing of common understanding about the strategic objectives of the alliance.
	"Policy Research" Note Incorporating Strategic Environmental Considerations into Design of Public Policy: The Case of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).........9 Hayato Kobayashi (Consultant, The World Bank) Reducing environmental risks and achieving long-term sustainability calls for incorporating environmental considerations into the design of public policy through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The traditional "Impact-centered" approach, focusing on identifying and mitigating environmental impacts of proposed activities, however, is of limited effectiveness at a policy level characterized by uncertainty. For SEA to be effective at this level, a new approach, "Institutions-centered" approach, focusing on environmental governance and a mechanism for social learning is needed. Essay Save Japan from the State of Policy Vacuum!.........11 Hideki Wakabayashi (Visiting Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies and former Member of the Japanese House of Councilors)

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GPI Brief no. 3 (March 2008)

2008-03-31 (月)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no.3 (March 2008)	Table of Contents and Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note The Sustainability of the U.S. External Debt and the Prospect of the Dollar Standard System.........2 Masaharu Takenaka (Director of Research and Chief Economist, Institute for International Monetary Affairs) Since the subprime loan crisis, which occurred in the midst of the financial and investment business models that had underlined the U.S. competitive edge, “the demise of the U.S. dollar” as a key currency, or even “the beginning of the end” of the U.S. economic and financial hegemony has been frequently discussed. While the article identifies some of the structural strengths of the U.S. dollar as a key currency, it argues that the U.S. economy or the currency is less likely to go down the road.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note Building a Sustainable Regional Development System in the Era of Globalization.........6 Kentaro Yoshida (GPI Fellow and Visiting Fellow, Office of the Japan Chair, Center for Strategic & International Studies) Small and medium-sized enterprises, which play important roles in maintaining vitality and competitiveness in Japan’s regional economies as well as its national economy, have been under assault from globalization. The author discusses various challenges that regional economies face today in economic structure, public policy, and management strategies. The author argues about the importance of building a sustainable regional development system where industrial clusters adapt to changing circumstances in the global economy and continue to produce high value-added goods and create technical innovations.
	"Policy Research" Note Global Security and Policy Formation Process.........9 Mika Shimizu (GPI Co-Director) The article examines the policy formation process essential for global security, which tends to be disregarded at this point. It articulates the relations between global security and policy formation process by pointing out characteristics of global risks that are common to each global security issue and vital policy formation stages in crisis theory. Specifically, it provides significant factors for developing creative global security strategy from structural perspectives. Essay Commitment for Young People in Japan and an Initiative.........11 Takahiro Suzuki (Visiting Professor of Graduate School of Public Policy, Chuo University, and Director-General, Think Tank 2005 Japan)

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GPI Brief no. 2 (January 2008)

2008-01-30 (水)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no.2 (January 2008)	Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note Unification of Public Pension Systems in Japan: A Discussion of Reform Options.........2 Hideaki Tanaka (GPI Expert Member and Assistant Professor, Hitotsubashi University) The Japanese public pension systems are segmented according to occupations. Introduced in 1985, the Basic Pension System was intended to solve this problem but has in turn caused various problems such as high poverty rates among the elderly. One of the reasons for this is the ambiguity of the system’s principle, making it unclear if it is designed as a social safety net or for social insurance. The current system is incompatible with high labor mobility and rapid population aging. Therefore, it is imperative to unify the systems. If a universal system is the ultimate goal, the most feasible and applicable approach for Japan would be the Canadian model, in which the Basic Pension is financed by general revenues.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note The Challenge of International Policy Coordination in the Multipolar Era.........6 Hirotsugu Koike (GPI Senior Advisor and President, Nikkei Europe Ltd.) The acceleration of globalisation since the 1990s has profoundly changed the politics and economy of the world and posed a new set of policy challenges. With the advent of a full-blown multipolar era, we will be required to cope with instability in its transition period and to reform policy coordination mechanisms. While it is important to solve negative consequences of globalisation such as the widening income gap, “globalisation of negatives” such as the worldwide expansion of terrorism, crime, and illegal activities should not be neglected either. The article examines the real implications of globalisation and reviews international public policies, in particular multilateral policy coordination.
	"Policy Research" Note The Challenge of Public Pension Reform and Policy Formation in South Korea.........8 Keisuke Nakashima (GPI Co-Director and Research Associate, Global Aging Initiative, Center for Strategic & International Studies) In its process of policy formation, South Korea has various problems including insufficient disclosure of information, uniformed policy discussions within limited circles, and structural and cultural barriers that discourage creation of new policy ideas. These are also common issues for Japan. The article explores foreign think tanks’ roles and effectiveness as a catalyst for the evolution of this process. Essay A Perspective from Field Work of Global Aging.........11 Emi Kiyota (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Gerontology Consultant)

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GPI Brief no. 1 (November 2007)

2007-12-03 (月)
04. Publications

GPI Brief no. 1 (November 2007)	Abstracts
	"Policy Institutions" Research Note Crossroad in the 21st Century—Structural Changes: Policy Entrepreneurs as a Key to Policy Design and Institution Building.........3 Mika Shimizu (GPI Co-Director) The more accelerated and more complex globalization of the 21st Century has affected the structure of public policy. How we address this point can be a watershed for public policy, since understanding the essence of this point will influence the foundations of problem-solving-oriented policy processes at both the micro and macro levels, and furthermore the ways of policy design and institution building. This paper provides a brief summary of analytical perspectives of structural changes in public policy, and policy institutions to address these changes. Based on the perspectives, it suggests a policy implication especially for Japan with the role of policy entrepreneurs.
	"Globalization and Public Policy" Research Note Globalization and the Role of Public Policy.........5 Kei Karasawa (GPI Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus, Ritsumeikan University) While the deepening of globalization has undermined the existing order, a new order has not emerged yet. It is an urgent task for the international society and public policy to cope with its negative consequences, such as poverty and economic imbalances. To this end, it is vital to innovate policy-formation mechanisms, by mobilizing the public and overhauling the framework of “public policy equals government’s policy.” With these perspectives, the paper provides key points of view for globalization and the role of public policy.
	"Policy Research" Note Policy Study and Nonprofit Think Tanks: Contributions to Democracy Process .........7 Makiko Ueno (GPI Senior Advisor and Professor of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University) Policy study has been significantly developed in the United States, and together with evolving nonprofit policy research institutions, so called think tanks, it has become a social infrastructure for helping democracy work and making government function. Whereas, in Japan, the political mess and the government’s inability to handle problems came from the long lack of policy study that includes policy research, analysis, and evaluation of government activities and policies. Japan is still the only developed country without nonprofit policy research institutions. The challenge for Japan is how to develop the institutional and human capacity for policy research, analysis, and evaluation.

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GPI Brief Back Issues

2007-12-02 (日)
04. Publications

GPI Brief (No. 10, June 2009)

GPI Brief (No. 9, April 2009)

GPI Brief (No. 8, January 2009)

GPI Brief (No. 7, December 2008)

GPI Brief (No. 6, Special Edition, October 2008)

GPI Brief (No. 5, July 2008)

GPI Brief (No. 4, May 2008)

GPI Brief (No. 3, March 2008)

GPI Brief (No. 2, January 2008)

GPI Brief (No. 1, Inaugural Issue, November 2007)

Articiles published in GPI Brief -- for Guiding Policy Innovation -- are available in Japanse only. However, their abstracts are available both in Japanese and English.

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