Japan's Failed Experiment: The DPJ and Institutional Change for Political Leadership

Asian Survey ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 799-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohito Shinoda
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Change ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Japanese Politics

Abstract With the establishment of the DPJ government, Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio introduced a series of institutional changes in order to transform the existing bureaucracy-controlled government and to establish political leadership. These changes, however, created instability and irregularity in Japanese politics. As a result, they were reversed by his successors.

scholarly journals Swords and Ploughshares: The Election Prerogative in Canada

1972 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-291
Author(s):  
James Lightbody
Keyword(s):  
Prime Minister ◽  
Political Process ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
General Election ◽  
The Political ◽  
Legislative Assembly

Modestly impressive by its lack of mention both in a recent examination of the political leadership of the prime minister and the more traditional texts of the Canadian political process, is serious notice of environmental limitations on the prime ministerial prerogative in dissolving the Legislative Assembly and announcing a general election.

On the Applicability of “Provision-Appropriation” Theory to Irrigation Management: An Analysis Based on Institutional Change in the Dongping Irrigation Area

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Chen Jing ◽  
Kan Shizuan ◽  
Tong Zhihui
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Change ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Historical Research ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Irrigation Area ◽  
Site Investigations ◽  
Current State ◽  
System Sustainability

AbstractThis paper, based on historical research on irrigation administration in the Dongping area and on-site investigations into its current state, explores the benefits and problems produced by two institutional changes. As a common pool resource situation, irrigation systems’ “provision” and “appropriation” are two separate issues; any institutional change must thus offer two different solutions. The study concludes that the participatory changes undertaken in the Dongping irrigation area failed, in the end, to resolve the problem of irrigation system sustainability. In particular, it proved difficult for collective action to take place around provision, which led to difficulties in operating the irrigation system.

Water institutional reforms in Chile

Water Policy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Hearnea ◽  
Guillermo Donosob
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Institutional Economics ◽  
Group Behavior ◽  
Path Dependency ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
Water Sector ◽  
Management Institutions

This paper provides a review of the recent institutional changes observed in the water sector in Chile. This review is then used to reflect the Chilean experience in the light of the results concerning institutional change found in existing literature on both institutional economics in general and water institutional economics in particular. These results relate to factors explaining institutional change and the role of endogenous institutional features, such as path dependency and institutional linkages during the reform process. Against a brief description of the main features of the water sector in Chile, the paper provides an overview of Chilean water management institutions and the reforms process ongoing since the 1980s. The factors that motivated institutional changes in Chile's water management include ideology, transactions costs, interest-group behavior and path dependency. While the already observed institutional changes, such as the transferable water rights, water markets and urban water reforms, are all significant, further reforms are delayed by the deliberate legislative process required for changes as a result of the 1980 Constitution. Future water reforms in Chile, therefore, depend on a very difficult process of political reforms needed to change the 1980 Constitution and the 1981 Water Code.

scholarly journals The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the institutional change in developing countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 587-601
Author(s):  
Tomasz Legiędź
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Institutional Economics ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
New Institutional Economics ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Current Events ◽  
Institutional System ◽  
The Impact

Motivation: The Covid-19 pandemic is having a critical impact on economies, especially in developing countries. Such a serious external shock affects the distribution of economic rents, thus leading to potentially large institutional changes. Naturally, in the short term we are dealing with an economic crisis and a restriction of civil liberties in both autocratic and democratic countries, however, it is not known what the dynamics of institutional changes will be in the longer run. Aim: The main purpose of the article is to answer if the Covid-19 pandemic becomes a turning point that will determine the institutional system in developing countries for the next few decades. The first part of the article outlines the theory of institutional change, with particular emphasis on the role of external shocks. The next section presents studies on the socioeconomic impact of two major epidemics: The Black Death and the Great Influenza Pandemic. The third part conducts an assessment as to what extent the current pandemic may affect institutions in developing countries, by reference to the example of two countries: Tunisia and Cambodia. The analysis is conducted from the perspective of the new institutional economics. Results: If we look at the experiences from previous pandemics, current events and refer to the literature on the theory of institutional change, we can conclude that significant institutional changes caused by Covid-19 are unlikely. The process of institutional change is characterized by a specific complexity and changing dynamics. Nonetheless, it is the internal factors, reflecting the actions of people trying to maximize the benefits, which are the main cause of change in an institutional system. Therefore, the Covid-19 pandemic is more likely to strengthen the endogeneity of the process of institutional change, rather than change its course.

An equilibrium path for institutional change in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 399-414
Author(s):  
Shixiong Cao ◽  
Zhiguang Ren
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Equilibrium Path ◽  
New Era ◽  
The Past ◽  
Economic Practices ◽  
New Institutions

China’s economic and political reforms since 1978 represent one of the biggest institutional changes in the last century. Because most research has focused on the economics of institutional change rather than the evolution of political institutions, a theoretical framework to explain China’s rapid economic development is lacking. To understand the successes and failures of China’s institutional change, we reviewed China’s innovative political and economic practices during the past 30 years. We found that the country’s political and economic institutions combine to form a dynamic equilibrium that can explain the impressive economic results. China’s leaders dream of new institutions that will improve upon traditional Western capitalism, based on a combination of central planning with traditional capitalist approaches that increase the system’s flexibility. If China’s leaders can combine this approach with decreased social costs compared with previous socioeconomic systems, this will represent a new era and a model that other nations can follow.

scholarly journals Property rights, institutional change and development in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Schirmer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
South African ◽  
Institutional Economics ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Universal System ◽  
The Past ◽  
Shed Light

Orientation: This article examined the link between property rights and development in the context of South Africa. Research purpose: The article sought to unpack the implications of Hernando De Soto’s work and the broader institutional economics literature for the policy challenges that South Africa currently confronts. Motivation for the Study: Hernando De Soto’s call for a property rights system accessible to all has had a limited impact in South Africa even though his arguments linking poverty to limited property rights systems seems highly relevant here. This is a legacy of Apartheid that has not yet been properly tackled. At the same time, South African realities may raise questions about De Soto’s conclusions and his policy recommendations. Research design: The article provided a textual analysis of De Soto’s work and then applied it to an investigation of South African poverty and the policies that have been implemented since 1994. The article also drew on seminal contributions to institutional economics to shed light on the process of institutional change, and then showed how this perspective fits with much of what De Soto has written about transforming property rights systems. Main findings: This article argued that extending property rights to all is vital for development and for overcoming a major legacy of apartheid. However, moving from a restricted to a universal system requires fundamental institutional changes that are difficult to achieve. Contribution: While De Soto has often advocated a top-down, overly simplistic policy approach in the past, this article showed that the necessary changes can only come about via an incremental, bottom-up approach. To this end, it is particularly important to strengthen the accountability and capacity of local government.

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