Exceptions that Make the Rule? Koizumi Jun'ichirō and Political Leadership in Japan

Envall, David

doi:10.1080/10371390802249198

Cited by 7 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For Koizumi, this was not only a foundation of his legitimacy as leader but also a policy that might reform both the LDP and Japanese politics. Ultimately, however, while Koizumi raised wider expectations for charismatic or transformational leadership (Envall, 2008b), the impact of his reforms were more limited, especially in terms of the LDP. Koizumi, it has been argued, did not transform the LDP or provide a base upon which a renewed party could continue as the dominating force in Japanese politics.…”

Section: Leadership and Followershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abe's Fall: Leadership and Expectations in Japanese Politics

Envall

2011

Asian Journal of Political Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

On becoming prime minister in 2006, Abe Shinzō was feted as the 'prince' of Japanese politics. A year later, Abe's Liberal Democratic Party had suffered a major electoral defeat and Abe's time as his country's leader was over. As a study of political leadership, this article seeks to explain the leadership outcomes of Abe's brief prime ministership, in particular the dramatic fall in public support Abe suffered during his tenure. It is argued that, despite the difficult circumstances Abe faced, the nature of his political demise cannot be fully accounted for by structural factors alone. It is also necessary to understand the role played by Abe himself and, in particular, his flawed leadership strategy. In the end, Abe's political demise followed a basic logic: high expectations followed by disillusionment characterised by sudden plunges in approval*a tragedy of hubris leading to nemesis.

show abstract

Section: Leadership and Followershipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abe's Fall: Leadership and Expectations in Japanese Politics

Envall

2011

Asian Journal of Political Science

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Hoshi and Lipscy (2021: 13; Uchiyama, 2019) note that the Abe government made skilful choices about the timing of controversial legislation to enable such recoveries in approval ratings, and Kohno (2021) argues that it was the loss (and subsequent re-gain) of the conservative vote in the wake of scandals that accounts for Abe's rebound in popularity. Nonetheless, the overall decline in approval ratings over the time of his premiership supports the observation that ‘all prime ministers leave office less popular then when they began.…”

Section: Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…He also timed lower house elections to maintain popular support and quell signs of intraparty challenges. For example, he used the 2014 election to push forward on his plans to postpone the consumption tax hike, on which he was being challenged within the party (Hoshi and Lipscy, 2021: 16).…”

Section: Skillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Abe government's control over the bureaucracy has been well documented (Hoshi and Lipscy, 2021; Takenaka, 2021). For some, this was part of his presidential style of power consolidation in the kantei , which included ‘controlling the career path of senior government bureaucrats, by imposing more political appointees on government agencies, and by strengthening the kantei through adding both individual hires and institutional functions’ (Fukushima, 2020).…”

Section: Relationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

How the mighty are fallen: Evaluating Abe Shinzō's leadership capital in crisis

Maruoka

Rose

2022

Asian Journal of Comparative Politics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Japanese prime ministers have traditionally been seen as consensus-builders, lacking flair, charisma and the skills to be anything other than reactive leaders, constrained by a political system which privileged a strong bureaucracy and Liberal Democratic Party structures. Recent literature has, however, begun to explore prime ministerial agency, considering the ways in which Japanese prime ministers have been able to demonstrate stronger leadership not only because of an expansion of their power resources in the core executive and the party, but also because of their individual leadership skills, style and personal attributes. Drawing on studies which have highlighted the impact of Japanese prime ministerial agency, this article uses the Leadership Capital Index (LCI) alongside insights from crisis management literature to explore the latter months of Abe Shinzō's premiership. It considers the ways in which personal factors interacted with institutional and situational factors in shaping Abe's political authority during the final year of his prime ministership, with a particular focus on the pandemic period. It asks why, when Abe had otherwise been considered one of post-war Japan's strongest and most decisive leaders, did he fall short during the Covid-19 crisis? To what extent did his personal skills and leadership style help or hinder his ability to lead during the crisis? The article suggests that the LCI offers insights into ways in which, and why, Abe's apparently strong leadership skills went missing in action during the global pandemic.

show abstract

“…By the mid 2000s, LDP revisionists such as Koizumi and Abe Shinzō were seeking to transform Japan's security politics (Samuels 2007). In trying to replace the Yoshida Doctrine (Envall 2008b), they reformed Japan's security-related institutions, outlined a more nationalist vision for the country and promoted significant legal reform, such as amending the constitution (Envall 2008a(Envall , 2011. Even their support for the USA was not based simply on inertia or ideology.…”

Section: Alternative Explanationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Underplaying the ‘Okinawa card’: how Japan negotiates its alliance with the United States

Envall¹

2013

Australian Journal of International Affairs

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.

show abstract

Exceptions that Make the Rule? Koizumi Jun'ichirō and Political Leadership in Japan

Cited by 7 publications

References 22 publications

Abe's Fall: Leadership and Expectations in Japanese Politics

Abe's Fall: Leadership and Expectations in Japanese Politics

How the mighty are fallen: Evaluating Abe Shinzō's leadership capital in crisis

Underplaying the ‘Okinawa card’: how Japan negotiates its alliance with the United States

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About