A Proper Prime Minister: Appointive Responsibility in Japanese Cabinet Scandals
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A Proper Prime Minister : Appointive Responsibility in Japanese Cabinet Scandals. / Sejrup, Jens.
In: Social Science Japan Journal, Vol. 21, No. 2, 21.04.2018, p. 285-304.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - A Proper Prime Minister
T2 - Appointive Responsibility in Japanese Cabinet Scandals
AU - Sejrup, Jens
PY - 2018/4/21
Y1 - 2018/4/21
N2 - Cabinet scandals and minister resignations happen frequently in Japan. In recent years, political opponents and the mass media have approached such cases as occasions for pursuit of the prime minister’s ‘appointive responsibility’. Based on comprehensive source material since 1989 but focusing particularly on 2006–2012, this paper introduces appointive responsibility as an object of critical analysis. Emphasizing that the notion has distinct ideological implications, I pinpoint the rhetorical techniques and strategic rationale underlying appointive responsibility and show that the phenomenon operates in two logically opposed forms. The first form follows a causality principle and presents the prime minister as inappropriately ignorant. The second one operates according to a representative logic and revolves around inappropriate knowledge. Outlining and problematizing both forms, the paper analytically unravels key aspects of a new paradigm of executive leadership and responsibility in Japanese political discourse. The paper contributes to a better qualitative understanding of responsibility constructs in recent Japanese politics and delivers a focused critical examination of appointive responsibility as a key rhetorical vehicle for tapping into frustrated public expectations of political leadership.
AB - Cabinet scandals and minister resignations happen frequently in Japan. In recent years, political opponents and the mass media have approached such cases as occasions for pursuit of the prime minister’s ‘appointive responsibility’. Based on comprehensive source material since 1989 but focusing particularly on 2006–2012, this paper introduces appointive responsibility as an object of critical analysis. Emphasizing that the notion has distinct ideological implications, I pinpoint the rhetorical techniques and strategic rationale underlying appointive responsibility and show that the phenomenon operates in two logically opposed forms. The first form follows a causality principle and presents the prime minister as inappropriately ignorant. The second one operates according to a representative logic and revolves around inappropriate knowledge. Outlining and problematizing both forms, the paper analytically unravels key aspects of a new paradigm of executive leadership and responsibility in Japanese political discourse. The paper contributes to a better qualitative understanding of responsibility constructs in recent Japanese politics and delivers a focused critical examination of appointive responsibility as a key rhetorical vehicle for tapping into frustrated public expectations of political leadership.
KW - Faculty of Social Sciences
KW - ideology
KW - Japan
KW - leadership
KW - prime minister
KW - responsibility
KW - scandal
U2 - 10.1093/ssjj/jyy001
DO - 10.1093/ssjj/jyy001
M3 - Journal article
VL - 21
SP - 285
EP - 304
JO - Social Science Japan Journal
JF - Social Science Japan Journal
SN - 1369-1465
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 195468529