Deck 6: Japan

Question 1

The Plaza Accord was an agreement that

A) renegotiated the terms of the treaty under which Japan allows U.S. troops to be stationed in the country.
B) devalued the American dollar against the Japanese yen, thus making Japanese exports more expensive and less competitive.
C) would have established a joint currency between Japan and several Asian countries.
D) increased the value of the American dollar respective to the Japanese yen, thus making American exports more expensive and less competitive.
E) established the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Japan is a major financial contributor to

A) the United Nations.
B) the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
C) the World Bank.
D) the Asian Development Bank.
E) all of these.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

A factor that led to the Meiji Restoration was

A) the widespread acceptance of democratic ideas.
B) a nearly successful invasion of the country by Korea.
C) the forced opening of the country by an American fleet.
D) the spread of industrialization.
E) the rise of the Shogun class.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The 1960 political episode that brought down the Liberal Democrat government of Kishi Nobusuke involved the government's decision to

A) allow the United States to base nuclear weapons in the country.
B) seek membership in the anti-communist U.S.-dominated Asian-Pacific Defense Pact.
C) seek closer ties to the Soviet Union.
D) publicly apologize to China for the "rape of Nanking."
E) continue to allow U.S. troops to be stationed in Japan.

Question 5

Japan's postwar constitution was drafted by

A) a group of Japanese lawyers.
B) American lawyers.
C) a group of lawyers from all of the Allied occupying powers.
D) a commission comprised of Japanese and American lawyers.
E) American lawyers with the assistance of British lawyers.

Question 6

Which of the following about Japan's keiretsu is NOT true?

A) Keiretsu may be organized vertically or horizontally.
B) Some of Japan's trading partners contend that the relationships among keiretsu member firms is harmful to free trade.
C) Since the late 1990s, most keiretsu links have become more entrenched in response to the challenges associated with globalization.
D) Keiretsu can trace their origins back to the pre-World War II zaibatsu conglomerates.
E) The Toyota group is an example of a vertical keiretsu .

Question 7

The March 2011 "triple disaster" refers to

A) North Korean missile tests that destroyed three Japanese fishing vessels.
B) a critical point in the conflict between Japan, Vietnam, and China over water rights.
C) a chemical spill, an industrial accident, and a bridge collapse that killed hundreds, all happening within weeks of one another.
D) an earthquake, a resulting tsunami, and a meltdown at a Japanese nuclear reactor.
E) three simultaneous attacks on the Japanese transportation system by a religious cult.

Question 8

Japan first achieved a favorable trade balance, meaning it exported more than it imported, during

A) the Great Depression of the 1930s.
B) World War I.
C) the Tokugawa shogunate.
D) the Taisho democracy.
E) the Korean War.

Question 9

The Allied occupation of Japan ended in

A) 1952.
B) 1949.
C) 1950.
D) 1955.
E) 1948.

Question 10

Administrative guidance refers to

A) the practice of the Japanese government to set long-term goals with regard to technological innovation.
B) the practice of the Japanese government to regularly issue contradictory regulations leaving private firms unsure of how to react.
C) the command economy structures of the Japanese government.
D) informal guidance given to a private firm by a government agency that raises issues of transparency and collusion.
E) the practice of the Japanese government of issuing flexible "administrative rules" rather than strict formal regulations, thus effectively giving private firms a free hand to do as they wish.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the role of the Japanese government in its economy?

A) It was very interventionist prior to World War II but the occupation forced the government to adopt laissez-faire policies that have remained in place to this day.
B) It has always played a major role serving as both patron and protector of domestic industry.
C) It has acted as the patron and guardian for domestic industries since the Meiji period.
D) Its adoption of a "wartime command economy" during World War II was an aberration as the government had traditionally adopted a laissez-faire stance.
E) It began to act as a patron and protector of domestic industries only after the end of the Allied occupation in the 1950s.

Question 12

A significant impact of the Meiji Restoration and the Taisho democracy period was

A) the democratization of government and the reduction of the power of the authoritarian institutions of the Japanese state.
B) Japan turning inward and isolating itself from the rest of the world.
C) the introduction of Japan's first constitution.
D) the elimination of the political power of rural landlords and industrial conglomerates.
E) moving the capital to Kyoto.

Question 13

A keiretsu is a

A) semipublicly owned financial corporation.
B) semipublicly owned industry.
C) business alliance of closely linked firms that have preferential trading relationships and often interlocked directorates and stock-sharing arrangements.
D) lobbyist who works for a private firm or collection of firms.
E) financier of public and private corporations and public works projects.

Question 14

Nearly all of the descendants of contemporary Japan's citizens come from the following places EXCEPT

A) Siberia.
B) China.
C) the Korean peninsula.
D) the South Pacific.
E) India.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about Japan's role in a globalized world of states is NOT true?

A) Japan is the second largest contributor to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
B) All past presidents of the Asian Development Bank have been Japanese.
C) Japan is a founding member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
D) Japan has never been elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
E) Japan is the second largest contributor to the United Nations budget.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about Japan's workers is INCORRECT?

A) Although Japan's unemployment rate is fairly low, its rate of relative poverty has increased considerably because of the increase of nonregular workers.
B) Nonregular workers comprise about 30% of the Japanese workforce.
C) Women tend to be nonregular workers more than men.
D) The increase of nonregular workers is chiefly a result of Japanese firms cutting costs.
E) The increase of nonregular workers has created a tension between them and regular employees in part because non-regular workers get few, if any, benefits.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about Japan's historical economic performance is NOT true?

A) Japan's economy had grown steadily from the late 1860s through the Great Depression.
B) Although hurt by the Great Depression, Japan recovered quickly and by 1941 was one of the world's fastest growing economies.
C) Previous to the occupation following World War II, the Japanese domestic market was rather small.
D) The post-World War II occupation brought about reforms that led to the substantial reduction of the concentration of economic power in the country and the expansion of the domestic market.
E) Japan did not achieve a favorable trade balance until after WWII.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an element of Abenomics (the economic policies instituted by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo)?

A) Allowing the yen to devalue
B) Expanding public works
C) Tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy
D) Raising tariffs
E) Cutting welfare spending

Question 19

The major goals pursued by the Allied occupiers of Japan following World War II were

A) the economic recovery of the country and the restructuring of the military as a buffer against the threat posed by the Soviet Union.
B) the economic recovery of the country and the restoration of the sovereignty of the emperor.
C) democratization and the economic recovery of the country.
D) demilitarization and democratization.
E) the economic recovery of the country and the persecution of war criminals.

Question 20

Japan's shogunate was an example of a

A) monarchial dynasty.
B) one-party government.
C) communist government.
D) military government.
E) democratic (parliamentary) government.

Question 21

Current calls to amend the constitution have focused on all of the following EXCEPT

A) revising Article 9 (the peace clause).
B) directly electing the prime minister.
C) devolving power to subnational governments.
D) consolidating the number of subnational units of government.
E) giving the power of judicial review to the Japanese Supreme Court.

Question 22

Japan's unemployment rate hovers around ____ percent.

A) 2
B) 4
C) 6
D) 8
E) 9

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an example of  a significant economic division in Japan?

A) The division between unionized and nonunionized workers
B) The division between regular and nonregular workers
C) The division between men and women
D) The division between large firms and SMEs (small and medium sized firms)
E) All of these are examples of significant economic divisions in Japan

Question 24

Which of the following about Japanese environmental politics is NOT true?

A) The Four Great Pollution Trials led to the enactment of stiff anti-pollution laws, which have not been wholly successful.
B) Since the 1990s, public attention has generally shifted away from environmental issues.
C) One reason Japan turned to nuclear power was because it was seen as a reliable and affordable source of energy.
D) Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, all of Japan's nuclear reactors have been taken offline.
E) Japan has not signed the Kyoto Protocol, which attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world.

Question 25

Which statement about the Japanese social welfare system is NOT correct?

A) It is comparable to that of the United States but compares poorly with other Western countries.
B) Social welfare spending is concentrated in pensions and health care for the elderly.
C) The development of a national welfare system was mandated by the postwar constitution.
D) Social welfare is the largest government budget item.

Question 26

When we say that Japan is a constitutional monarchy, we mean that

A) the monarch alone can amend the constitution.
B) the monarch is the formal head of government although as a practical matter, executive power is exercised by the prime minister.
C) the monarch serves only a ceremonial symbolic role.
D) the Japanese parliament chooses the monarch.
E) the monarch has a constitutional power to veto laws approved by parliament but he has never exercised this.

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT an example of how Japan has sought to reorient its trade patterns within the Asian-Pacific region?

A) Concluding an economic partnership with China
B) Concluding economic partnership agreements with India, Mexico, and Peru
C) Entering into negotiations to create an Asia-Pacific free trade zone
D) Entering into a dialogue with China and South Korea concerning trans-border air pollution
E) Encouraging private investment in the region

Question 28

How is the Japanese prime minister elected?

A) By popular vote of the Japanese electorate
B) By a vote in both chambers of parliament, although the lower chamber's selection prevails if the two votes produce different candidates
C) Through "back room deals" among the various parties in the parliament producing the candidate that is essentially every party's second choice
D) By a vote in the lower house of the parliament
E) By a vote in the lower house of parliament that must be subsequently approved by the upper house

Question 29

Support for the notion that Japan has slid, relative to other countries, in its international economic role and status can be found in all of the following EXCEPT

A) the fact that it now ranks behind other countries in terms of donating money for developmental assistance.
B) its low rank on the World Competitiveness Scoreboard.
C) its technological edge in civilian goods export markets has been challenged by states like China and South Korea.
D) the fact that it has been replaced by China as the country with the largest foreign exchange reserves.
E) the relative low level of zaibatsu conglomerates operating within the country.

Question 30

Between 1955 and 2013, all but five of Japan's prime ministers came from the

A) Social Democratic Party.
B) Liberal Democratic Party.
C) Democratic Party of Japan.
D) Republican Party of Japan.
E) Liberal Party.

Question 31

The phrase descent from heaven , used in reference to Japan, means

A) the appointment of public officials by the emperor to whom divinity was ascribed before World War II.
B) a politician's or public servant's fall into disgrace because of a scandal.
C) the legendary origin of the imperial family.
D) the employment of senior government officials upon their retirement by public or private corporations.
E) the widespread belief that Japan has a manifest destiny.

Question 32

Relationships among Japan's central government ministries and agencies can be described as

A) intimate and cooperative.
B) mutually intrusive and meddlesome.
C) mutually independent and exclusionary to the extent of interfering with joint efforts.
D) neither particularly cooperative nor uncooperative.
E) friendly due to the overlapping nature of their duties and responsibilities.

Question 33

In 2012, Japan's defense budget ranked ____________ in the world.

A) fourth
B) fifth
C) sixth
D) seventh
E) eighth

Question 34

Which of the following statements about Japanese women is NOT true?

A) Japanese women account for three-quarters of the country's nonregular workers.
B) The average Japanese female worker earns about 60% of what their male counterpart is paid.
C) There are significantly less women in managerial roles in Japan in comparison to other industrialized countries.
D) Although Japan passed an Equal Opportunity Law in 1987, it has had little impact in closing the economic gender gap.
E) Japanese women are not as highly educated as Japanese men.

Question 35

Japan can be described as

A) a constitutional monarchy in which the monarch exercises only a symbolic role.
B) a unitary state in which provinces and municipalities are subordinate to the national government.
C) a parliamentary democracy in which the people exercise their sovereignty through elected officials in the national legislature.
D) a parliamentary democracy in which the prime minister and cabinet, answerable to the legislature, serve as the country's executive.
E) all of the above.

Question 36

Which of the following statements about Japan's debt is INCORRECT?

A) Japan has sought to decrease its debt only by cutting spending, rather than raising revenue.
B) Japan has the highest debt-to-GNP ration among OECD countries.
C) Servicing the national debt consumed about a quarter of Japan's 2013 budget.
D) One reason for Japan's large debt is that it has paid for increased social welfare costs by issuing government bonds.
E) Japan's outstanding debt per citizen is just slightly higher than that of the United States.

Question 37

The average tenure in office of prime ministers in postwar Japan has been

A) less than one year.
B) just over two years.
C) just over four years.
D) about six years.
E) about eight years.

Question 38

Article 9 , known as the "peace clause", of Japan's Constitution

A) prevents the country's Self-Defense Forces from acting abroad.
B) specifies that Japan's military spending must be overseen by the United Nations.
C) defines Japan as a pacifist nation.
D) establishes the country's Self-Defense Forces.
E) limits how much the country can spend on its military.

Question 39

How many times has the Japanese constitution been amended since its enactment in 1947?

A) Never
B) Once
C) Twice
D) Three times
E) Nine times

Question 40

Historically speaking, the process used to pick prime ministers in postwar Japan has tended to produce prime ministers who

A) led a particular faction of the party.
B) had no previous experience in government or party leadership positions.
C) were strongly associated with the outgoing prime minister.
D) were essentially chosen by the consensus of the leaders of various party factions and thus essentially everyone's second choice.
E) were adept at manipulating public opinion.

Question 41

Which of the following is NOT true of the Japanese criminal system?

A) Japan is a relatively crime-free society.
B) Japan has a very high conviction rate.
C) In Japan, suspects have a constitutional right to counsel.
D) Japan's criminal system is highly centralized.
E) Some have criticized Japan's reliance on coerced confessions.

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT true of Japan's political parties?

A) Most are host to entrenched factions.
B) They receive state subsidies.
C) They are mass parties with substantial grassroots memberships.
D) They generally play no substantial role in subnational politics.
E) There are five major political parties in Japan although small minor parties have come and gone over the years.

Question 43

The Japanese Supreme Court exercises its constitutional power of judicial review

A) very rarely.
B) very frequently.
C) never.
D) about as frequently as the U.S. Supreme Court.
E) only when the cabinet directs it to do so.

Question 44

Which of the following BEST characterizes the impact of press clubs on the Japanese mass media?

A) They serve to protect the media from undue government harassment.
B) They suppress news critical of large and influential organizations, such as government agencies and business corporations.
C) They provide a network through which reporters can build close ties with one another.
D) They provide a network through which reporters can connect to government bureaucracies and private firms.
E) All of these.

Question 45

Koenkai are

A) Japanese firms and industries that are publicly or semipublicly owned.
B) Japanese private contractors who are increasingly responsible for conducting administrative affairs for the central government.
C) highly personalized campaign organizations that carry out constituency services.
D) neighborhood associations that manage Japanese polling places during elections.
E) Japanese officials employed by the government's central election board.

Question 46

Members to the Japanese House of Representatives are elected using a mixed member proportional (MMP) system, which means that

A) a portion of the members (about one-third) are appointed by party leaders rather than being elected.
B) each voter casts two ballots, one for a candidate in a single member district and one for a party in a proportional representation (PR) district.
C) voters in urban areas use a PR system, while voters in rural areas use a single member plurality (SMP) system.
D) voters in urban areas use a SMP system, while those in rural areas use a PR system.
E) each voter casts one ballot for a particular candidate and that vote may not be transferred to another candidate even of the same party.

Question 47

A predominant party regime is

A) a multiparty democracy in which one party dominates the parliament and executive for a long period of time.
B) the same as a single party regime.
C) one in which a single party dominates the parliament but not the executive.
D) one in which a single party dominates the executive but not the parliament.
E) an authoritarian regime is dominated by a single party even though other parties do exist.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT true regarding the status of women in Japan?

A) Informal discrimination against women remains widespread in Japanese society.
B) Women were first enfranchised during the Allied occupation.
C) Women's organizations date to the Meiji period.
D) Japan is the most gender-unequal state among highly industrialized countries.
E) Liberal women's organizations continued to operate under the militaristic government during the 1930s and WWII.

Question 49

Which of the following statements about Japanese youth is CORRECT?

A) Although traditionally there has been a low turnout for young Japanese voters, this pattern has begun to shift over the last decade.
B) The turnout rate for younger Japanese voters has been substantially and consistently lower than older voters.
C) Polls indicate that Japanese youth are at least as interested in politics as are youth in other industrialized countries.
D) Polls indicate that Japanese youth are about as dissatisfied about the current state of affairs in their country as are youth in other industrialized countries.
E) Polls suggest that Japanese youth are more pessimistic, rather than apathetic, about politics in Japan.

Question 50

Japan's Lay Judge System

A) is a system whereby a judge may adjudicate a suit between Japanese citizens.
B) is a system whereby a panel of randomly selected Japanese citizens rule on civil cases involving corporations.
C) permits Japanese citizens who have not attained a law degree to become judges.
D) is a reform that made all judgeships in Japan elected positions.
E) allows major criminal cases to be heard by a panel consisting of professional judges and randomly chosen Japanese citizens.

Question 51

Which statement about the Japanese legislative process is INCORRECT?

A) Ordinary bills can be introduced first in either house but budget bills must be introduced first in the lower house.
B) Since the early 2000s, the number of bills introduced by the cabinet and the number of bills introduced by members of the legislature have been about even although a higher percentage of cabinet bills have been passed than member bills.
C) Amendments to the Japanese constitution only require the consent of two-thirds of all members in each legislative house.
D) An ordinary bill is passed or rejected by a simple majority in the committee of either house, then by the whole house.
E) The lower house can override a rejection by the upper house of both ordinary and budget bills.

Question 52

Zoku , or tribes, refer to

A) a group of politicians who come from the same region of the country.
B) Japan's various parliamentary committees within the House of Representatives.
C) the diverse political factions that exist within Japan's political parties.
D) a coalition of civil servants and academics who develop policy options.
E) a group of politicians who work closely with special interests to advance a particular policy agenda.

Question 53

Which of the following statements about the Japanese Supreme Court is INCORRECT?

A) Supreme Court judges are appointed for life.
B) The Supreme Court consists of a chief judge and fourteen other judges.
C) The Supreme Court's chief judge is nominated by the cabinet and formally appointed by the emperor.
D) The cabinet appoints all members of the Supreme Court.
E) The Supreme Court, along with the eight higher courts and fifty district courts, possess the power of judicial review.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT true of the labor movement in Japan?

A) The Allied occupation encouraged unions as a form of democratizing Japanese politics.
B) Unions were instrumental in winning concessions over wages and working conditions.
C) The rate of unionization has fallen steadily since the 1970s.
D) The number of labor disputes, like strikes and walkouts, has fallen dramatically since the 1970s to the point that they are almost nonexistent today.
E) About one-third of Japan's urban labor force is unionized.

Question 55

Once seen as a dynamic economic powerhouse, Japan has been, since the 1990s, mired in a lingering economic recession. This has resulted in

A) a chronic budget deficit and growing national debt.
B) the government budget growing at a rate faster than the national economy.
C) government efforts to increase revenue such as raising the rate of the value added tax.
D) a sharp decline in the level of official development assistance ("foreign aid") by the government.
E) all of these.

Question 56

How are members to the House of Councilors elected?

A) Through a party list proportional representation method, based on a single nationwide district
B) Through a party list proportional representation method, based on districts at the prefecture level
C) Through a single nontransferable vote system, based on a single nationwide district
D) Through a single nontransferable vote system, based on districts at the prefecture level
E) Some by a party list proportional representation method based on a nationwide district and some from prefectures using a single nontransferable vote system

Question 57

Which of the following statements about the Japanese Diet (parliament) is INCORRECT?

A) While the lower house can be, and frequently is, dissolved, the upper house cannot.
B) The lower house is more powerful than the upper house.
C) Both houses are comprised predominately of men.
D) The lower house can override the upper house's rejection of an ordinary bill with a two-third majority.
E) The upper house is the larger chamber.

Question 58

Which of the following is CORRECT about the rapid aging of Japan's population?

A) It is the result of a combination of a high life expectancy and a low birthrate.
B) It means that there is a significant shortfall in the number of workers.
C) It has led to increased government spending not only on social security and health care for the elderly but also on birthrate-boosting efforts.
D) Although other industrialized countries are also "graying," the situation is most extreme in Japan.
E) All of these

Question 59

Which of the following is NOT true of minority ethnic groups in Japan?

A) The Ainu and the Okinawans both have their own distinctive language and culture despite being part of Japanese society for hundreds of years.
B) The majority of ethnic Koreans remain resident aliens.
C) The Ainu have been declared to be an indigenous people of Japan, although the Okinawans have not.
D) All ethnic minority groups are concentrated in the poorest prefectures of the country.
E) The core issue facing ethnic minorities is the discrimination they experience in employment and marriage.

Question 60

Which of the following BEST describes the relationship between the central government and subnational governments?

A) Japan is a federal system in which certain powers are reserved for subnational governments and others for the central government.
B) The central government exercises financial and administrative control over subnational governments.
C) Although Japan is a unitary state, the central government has nevertheless devolved a significant amount of authority to subnational governments.
D) The central government exercises financial and administrative control over the governments of prefectures but not local governments.
E) The central government exercises financial and administrative control over local governments but not those of prefectures.

Question 61

Describe how the role of the Japanese Self-Defense Force has changed over the years.  What has caused these changes?  What factors might bring about further change?

Question 62

Japan's trading partners, especially those in the West, have often argued that there are certain structural and behavior features of the country's private sector that lead to unfair trade practices. First, discuss the structural and behavioral features of the private sector of the Japanese economy that set it apart from its counterparts in most Western countries. Second, assess why critics may see these as leading to unfair trade practices. Finally, assess how Japan's continued integration into the global economy affected these features.

Question 63

Since the 1990s, Japan has been said to be stuck in a lingering economic recession even though it has a relatively low unemployment rate and remains a significant international economic actor.  First, describe at least three measures that illustrate the country's economic woes.  Next, explain the significance of these measures.

Question 64

In comparison to their counterparts in other parliamentary democracies, Japan's prime ministers are often said to be weak leaders.  Describe the features of the Japanese political system which causes this.

Question 65

The Allied occupation brought about a number of reforms to democratize and demilitarize Japan. What were the most important of these? How successful were they and in what sense?

Question 66

Japan is a resource-poor country. How has this affected its economic and foreign policies over the years? Does it continue to influence these policies today, and if so how?

Question 67

Since the 1990s, Japan has been stuck in a  lingering economic downturn.  Describe at least five policies that the governments have enacted to reverse this downturn.  How successful have these policies been?

Question 68

The state has always played a major role in managing the Japanese economy as both a patron and a protector of domestic industry. First, citing specific examples, explain the kinds of policies the state has taken in this regard. Next, explain how this traditional role of the state is being challenged by globalization as well as the current on-going economic recession.

Question 69

Policy coordination, coherence, and effectiveness are often problems associated with the policy process in Japan. First, explain the causes of these problems. Next, assess which of these you feel is the most important explanatory factor and why. Finally, assess to what extent these problems are systemic.

Question 70

Discuss how Japan's policy making process does not represent many of the norms and practices typically associated with a parliamentary democracy. What causes this divergence?