Joint Legislator-Expert Delegation on the Future of Democracy

日本国際交流センター JAPAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE JAPAN CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE 日本国際交流センター Joint Legislator-Expert Delegation on the Future of Democracy REPORT OCTOBER 2019 On September日 17–20,本国 2019,際交 a流 jointセン JCIEター delegation of Japanese legislators and policy experts visited Washington DCJAPAN to CENTERmeet FOR with INTERNATIONAL US Congressional EXCHANGE members, government officials, think tank experts, and NGO leaders to exchange views on the global state of democracy and on ways in which the two countries can further support democratization. The delegation members and their American counterparts expressed concern over the rise of authoritarianism and populism worldwide, as well as about the backsliding in countries that had been thought to be in a transition to democracy, sharing a sense of crisis about the future of democracy around the globe. In particular, US leaders repeatedly expressed their strong hope that Japan will play a more proactive role in supporting democratization and the rule of law in the Asia-Pacific region. US APPROACHES TO DEMOCRACY Further, the growing global influence of non-democratic SUPPORT states such as China and Russia adds to the sense that authoritarianism is on the rise worldwide. Against this Democracy’s Global Retreat backdrop, there is a sense of crisis and a recognition that US legislators, government officials, and experts shared democracy must be defended and democratic backslid- a deep sense of concern over democratic backsliding and ing must stop. rising threats to democracy around the world. In many emerging democracies, progress has been reversed and US Institutions Involved in Democracy Promotion authoritarianism is resurgent as widening inequality Overseas and an increase in corruption and crime have fueled Since its founding, Americans have considered democ- disappointment in democratic transitions. Meanwhile, racy to be their country’s guiding principle, and there economic stagnation, growing disparities, and a back- is widespread support for the promotion of democ- lash against immigration in established democracies racy internationally. While the Trump administration’s have driven political polarization and a broad sense of “America first” policies do not seem to prioritize uni- discontent with the political establishment. This, in versal values such as human rights, there is strong bipar- turn, has fed populism and created a political climate tisan support for democracy promotion in the Congress, that allows political leaders to neglect minority voices. which has continued to appropriate the same level of 2 budget for democracy support. Thus, those engaged in the field expressed their belief that there has not been a DELEGATION MEMBERS major impact on their activities even under the current JAPANESE DIET MEMBERS administration. Hon. Toshiko Abe, Member, House of Representatives (Liberal Democratic Party–LDP) 1. US Congress Hon. Shu Sakurai, Member, House of Representatives The Congress plays a central role in leading and (Constitutional Democratic Party) Hon. Hiromi Takase, Member, House of Councillors sustaining US efforts in democracy promotion. In ad- (Komeito) dition to appropriating the federal government’s bud- Hon. Keisuke Tsumura, Member, House of get for democracy-related activities, some members Representatives (Democratic Party for the People) are involved in direct activities to support democratic Hon. Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi, Member, House of governance around the world. These include the House Representatives (LDP) Partnership for Democracy, a special commission that STUDY TEAM MEMBERS enables Congressional members to visit countries in Dr. Takako Hikotani, Professor, Columbia University democratic transition and work with their local coun- Dr. Maiko Ichihara, Associate Professor, Hitotsubashi terparts in training programs that cover issues such University as parliamentary operations, budgeting, and election Dr. Kaori Shoji, Professor in American Politics, Gakushuin University Faculty of Law campaign debates. Amb. Yukio Takasu, Special Advisor on Human Security to the UN Secretary General; former UN 2. US Federal Government Agencies Under-Secretary General for Management; former Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations More than $2 billion is allocated annually from the US government’s foreign assistance budget to democracy JCIE STAFF support activities.1 The State Department uses diplo- Mr. James Gannon, Executive Director, JCIE/USA macy and economic incentives to support democratiza- Dr. Atsuko Yokobori Geiger, Fellow, JCIE/USA tion, while it also has government-to-government grant Ms. Hideko Katsumata, Executive Director & COO, JCIE/Japan projects. The United States Agency for International Mr. Stephen McHugh, Assistant Program Officer, Development (USAID) integrates elements related to JCIE/USA support for democratization into its overall aid strate- gies and programs, linking economic development to political progress in strengthening democratic institu- US government, they also receive grants from foreign tion. It places priority on transparency, anti-corruption governments and private foundations and they under- measures, governance, and the protection of human take various democracy support projects worldwide, rights, as being essential for a “journey to self-reliance.” including projects designed to protect minority popu- lations, nurture civil society (e.g., independent media), 3. NGOs Operating with US Government Funding and build international networks. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and its associated organizations—National Democratic 4. Other Independent NGOs Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI), Other American democracy support NGOs, such as American Center for International Labor Solidarity Freedom House, operate with a range of funding, in- (Solidarity Center), and Center for International Private cluding grants from US government agencies, foreign Enterprise (CIPE)—are nonprofit organizations that governments, and private foundation grants, as well as have independent boards and manage their own proj- corporate and individual donations. In addition to car- ects. While their operations are largely funded by the rying out direct programming around the world, many 1. Activities that receive these funds include programs run by are also engaged in advocacy and research activities, the State Department, USAID, and NED. including the development of democracy-related 3 indexes and analyses (e.g., Freedom House’s Freedom mistakes. While some programs provide direct support to in the World report). civil society organizations or media outlets that may be There is no overarching system that coordinates these working in opposition to the government, the vast major- actors, but there is a level of coordination thanks to ity of projects are undertaken with the understanding of meetings among organizations and information sharing host country governments, and often at their request. at the field level. There Are Strong Hopes for Japan to Be More KEY FINDINGS Active in Supporting Democratization The consistent message from those with whom the Legislators Have a Critical Role to Play in delegation met—regardless of whether they were gov- Democracy Support ernment officials, politicians, or experts from NGOs or The meetings in DC deepened the understanding among think tanks—was a strong hope that Japan would expand participants of the important role that the Congress and its work in the field. US government officials expressed Congressional members play in the field of democracy their hope for greater US-Japan coordination and co- support in the United States. In addition to appropriating operation in affirming universal values—including the the government’s budget for democracy-related activi- rule of law, human rights, and democratic governance— ties, Congressional members are engaged in direct sup- as a core element of the Open and Free Indo-Pacific port projects on a bipartisan basis through parliamentary Vision, alongside the economic development and secu- exchanges designed to share experiences and support rity that the vision also entails. capacity building for parliamentarians and parliamen- US leaders also pointed out that Japan is seen by tary staff in countries in transition. They play a central many in Asia as a model since it is the region’s most role in leading and sustaining US democracy support. established and stable democracy, and that there is a growing trust in and hope for the Japanese approach The Diversity of Actors in the Field Is a Source of to international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, US Strength which respects the ownership and priorities of recipient In the United States, a wide range of institutions, orga- countries and supports those countries’ efforts at self- nizations, and individuals are involved in activities re- help. Think tank experts also noted that there is a greater lated to support for democratization, and that diversity appreciation for Japan’s leadership in Asia in recent is considered one of the country’s strengths in the field. years, including for its role in championing the Trans- Reflecting the diversity of actors, a wide range of activ- Pacific Partnership (TPP) after the US withdrawal. ities is also taking place. In addition to direct measures, While there are growing expectations of Japan, such as dispatching election observation missions, the Congressional members pointed out during their meeting activities considered within the framework of

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