The Constitutional and Legal Framework of the Legislative Process in Japan

Abstract

Japan constitutes a unique case study in the field of comparative constitutional law, presenting a distinct model of the interaction between constitutional stability and political transformation. This research proceeds from a central hypothesis that the contemporary Japanese legislative system represents a complex synthesis between the constitutional principles entrenched in the 1947 document on one hand, and evolving political practices under the dominant party system on the other. The academic significance of this study lies in its address of a central problematic in the science of constitutional politics: the dialectical relationship between constitutional text and political practice. Within the theoretical framework, this study is based on the approach of New Institutionalism, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of the interaction between formal rules (the constitution and laws) and informal practices (political norms and power balances). It also benefits from the framework of Comparative Institutional Analysis to understand the particularity of the Japanese model within the context of parliamentary democratic systems.