Japanese Government and Politics (Lauren McKee)
ISBN 9781952636356. 132 pages.
Japanese Government and Politics takes a comparative approach to Japanese politics, covering topics such as political parties and elections, civil society, bureaucracy, and foreign relations. Grounded in a discussion of democracy’s historical development since the Meiji period, each chapter encourages readers to think critically and comparatively about political processes and their outcomes, situating Japan regionally and as a wealthy, democratic nation. The goal is to offer students of government insight into how democracy works—and doesn’t, for that matter—and can illustrate the fact that strengthening democratic institutions is an ongoing struggle throughout much of the world, including Japan.
“Written in a style that is readily accessible to non-specialists, Japanese Government and Politics is a wonderful resource for secondary teachers who want a basic, broad overview for use in social studies classes. Chapters can easily be incorporated into and enhance lessons ranging from medieval Japan to WWII to current global events. Material on the role of the emperor throughout history, the court system, elections, political parties, ministries which oversee international matters, civic participation and more make this a must-have volume on your bookshelf.” — Anne Prescott, Director, Five College Center for East Asian Studies
“McKee’s fascinating book provides a comprehensive and detailed, yet eminently readable, account of Japanese democracy. Placing Japan in comparative context, it will be an invaluable resource for students and teachers.” — Charles T. McClean, Council on East Asian Studies, Yale University
Lauren McKee is associate professor of political science and Asian Studies at Berea College. She first joined the faculty of Berea College in 2014 as an ASIANetwork-Luce Foundation postdoctoral teaching fellow after receiving a PhD in international studies from Old Dominion University. Dr. McKee regularly works with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) and has published in the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) teaching journal, Education about Asia. She enjoys teaching classes on comparative and East Asian politics and has taken students on study trips to Japan and China. Dr. McKee recently joined the US-Japan Network for the Future, an initiative dedicated to promoting bilateral policymaking and US-Japan understanding, which is sponsored by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation and the Japan Center for Global Partnerships.