Publication Date
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
December Green (Committee Member), Laura Luehrmann (Committee Chair), Kathryn Meyer (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Abstract
The Asia Pacific power structure is facing numerous challenges. Scholarship demonstrates Japan has encountered arduous obstacles as it balances Chinese and North Korean activity. As Japan attempts to expand its military capabilities, polling data shows that defense policy has conflicted with Japan's citizens and neighboring countries. The focal point of these contentions is Article 9 of the Japanese constitution which restrains the Japanese military to self-defense purposes. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to revise Article 9 by 2020. However, revising Article 9 is no simple task. Research demonstrates that for decades Japanese public opinion has been opposed to the revision of Article 9. This research examines trends in Japanese public opinion and its influence over Japanese defense policy. The research additionally suggests possible outcomes of the public referendum required before revising Article 9. Finally, this analysis provides implications for the Asia Pacific's security environment if Article 9 is revised.
Page Count
132
Department or Program
Department of Political Science
Year Degree Awarded
2018
Copyright
Copyright 2018, some rights reserved. My ETD may be copied and distributed only for non-commercial purposes and may not be modified. All use must give me credit as the original author.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
