Overview
- Examines reasons for persistent public deficits and delayed fiscal reform in Japan, with a special emphasis on political economy aspects
- Investigates political and institutional elements inducing expansion of public expenditure in the fields of social security public works, and intergovernmental transfer schemes
- Provides points of view for public policy and public debate with academic research based on theoretical and numerical approaches
Part of the book series: Advances in Japanese Business and Economics (AJBE, volume 8)
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
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Comprehensive Views of Japan’s Fiscal Policy
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Fiscal Problems in Japan
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Institutional Reforms Necessary for Fiscal Consolidation
Keywords
About this book
This book investigates the reasons for persistent public deficits and delayed fiscal reform in Japan, placing a special emphasis on political economy aspects. Japan is confronted with the need to pursue fiscal discipline for fiscal consolidation and implement structural reforms for reorganizing fiscal expenditures. Focusing on particular policy fields including social security, female labor supply, public works, and intergovernmental transfer schemes, the book clarifies economic and political elements that have hindered effective steps toward these two goals. Facing population aging and a business downturn, the Japanese government was urged to increase social security expenditures and the budget for Keynesian stimulus policies. As elucidated in the book, the institutional design has worked to over-represent the demands of elderly generations and local interest groups and to expand these expenditures. Rigorous theoretical and numerical analyses reported throughout the book consequently provide readers with insights into incentive designs and institutional reforms necessary for fiscal consolidation, also presenting points of view for public policy and public debate.
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Editors
Toshihiro Ihori is a professor of economics at The University of Tokyo. He has a B.A. and an M.A. from The University of Tokyo and a Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University. His major field of research is public economics. Details are at the web site of the Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
Kimiko Terai is a professor of economics at Keio University. She has a B.A. in education from Tokushima University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in economics from The University of Tokyo. Her major field of research is public economics. Details are at her website.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Political Economy of Fiscal Consolidation in Japan
Editors: Toshihiro Ihori, Kimiko Terai
Series Title: Advances in Japanese Business and Economics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-55127-0
Publisher: Springer Tokyo
eBook Packages: Business and Economics, Economics and Finance (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Japan 2015
Hardcover ISBN: 978-4-431-55126-3Published: 05 December 2014
Softcover ISBN: 978-4-431-56407-2Published: 23 August 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-4-431-55127-0Published: 21 November 2014
Series ISSN: 2197-8859
Series E-ISSN: 2197-8867
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 195
Number of Illustrations: 26 b/w illustrations, 16 illustrations in colour
Topics: Public Economics, Public Administration, Personal Finance/Wealth Management/Pension Planning