MITI and the Japanese Miracle
MITI and the Japanese Miracle: The Growth of Industrial Policy, 1925-1975 (ISBN: 9780804712064) was written by Chalmers Johnson, published by Stanford University Press in 1982.
Industrial policy as economic nationalism
- "scientific management" (Frederick Taylor)
- sharing technology, killing bad enterprises, etc.
- MITI believes domestic firms are too rigid, need intervention
Meiji Japan setup a strong PM and bureaucracy, weak emperor and parliament
- a power check against powerful provinces (Satsuma, Choshu)
- apolitical bureaucracy to broadcast 'European-ness'
Economic boom of 1930s resulted from MOF Takahashi Korekiyo's "reflation" expansive monetary policy.
SCAP broke up military, weakened parliament further, and put pressure on zaibatsu
- bureaucracy (except for Ministry of Home Affairs) left alone; now effectively an unchecked power
- bureaucracy grew 84% in 3 years
- policy written by shingikai
- ministers appointed by parliament; all other bureaucrats are careers
- Ministries of Agriculture and Education were politicized, but MITI avoided this
Civil service exams are difficult but passing means a guaranteed career
- prestige of Todai Law
- Exam B passers become permanent staff
- Exam A passers circulate throughout bureaucratic division to gain experience
- typical age at retirement/amakudari: 50s
- managed by vice ministers