The Establishment of the Japanese Constitutional System

ISBN-13: 9780415134750 / Angielski / Miękka / 1995 / 272 str.

Junji Banno;Banno Junji

Opis

Between 1868 (when it came to power) and 1890, the Meiji Government wielded despotic power, and was able to strengthen the military and promote industry for as long as its finances permitted. After the Diet (parliament) was established, however, the Government found itself facing challenges to this policy from the popular parties. The parties demanded that government expenditures and the burden of tax falling on the farmers should be decreased. They also demanded that despotic government should be replaced by party cabinets. But by 1900 one of the most popular parties had given up its demand for tax reduction, and begun to support the government policy of industrialization. At the same time, one faction of the oligarchic Government changed its attitude towards political parties. Why and how such a drastic change in basic attitudes should have taken place during the first decade of Japanese parliamentary politics presents a series of questions. To answer these questions, the book analyzes the constitutional framework and the economic interests of the parties' key supporters, namely, agricultural landowners.

Recenzje

`This is an important work of scholarship translated into English with great skill... can be read with profit by all political historians interested in the creation of constitutional systems.' - Ian Neary, Asian Affairs

`Banno is fortunate in having a translator who is a specialist in Japanese politics, J.A.A. Stockwin, who writes as clearly in English as Banno does in Japanese. Their approach in this translation - working closely together over many months - guaranteed accuracy to the original and smoothness in rendition... Banno's contribution will long remain the standard work in English on the subject.' - George Akita, Monumenta Nipponica

O autorze

Junji Banno