A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of Warwick Permanent WRAP URL: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/84449 Copyright and reuse: This thesis is made available online and is protected by original copyright. Please scroll down to view the document itself. Please refer to the repository record for this item for information to help you to cite it. Our policy information is available from the repository home page. For more information, please contact the WRAP Team at: [email protected] warwick.ac.uk/lib-publications The US-Japan alliance and the relocation of Futenma: Sites of discursive exchange in the reproduction of security alliances Miriam B. Grinberg BA Political Science, Gettysburg College MA International Politics and East Asia, University of Warwick A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Politics and International Studies Department of Politics and International Studies University of Warwick June 2016 Grinberg 2 Table of Contents List of tables and figures .......................................................................................................................... 7 List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ 8 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................... 10 Declaration ............................................................................................................................................ 11 Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 13 1. Alliances in international relations ................................................................................................ 13 2. A case in point: the US-Japan alliance and the relocation of Futenma .......................................... 14 3. Studying ‘persistence’: gaps in the debate .................................................................................... 16 4. Central research questions and argument .................................................................................... 18 5. Theoretical framework .................................................................................................................. 20 6. Methodological framework ........................................................................................................... 21 6.1. Discourses under study .......................................................................................................... 22 6.2. Sites of discursive exchange ................................................................................................... 23 6.3. Analytical themes ................................................................................................................... 24 7. Research contributions .................................................................................................................. 25 8. Outline of the thesis ...................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 1. Literature review ................................................................................................................. 29 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 29 1. Alliances in international relations ................................................................................................ 31 2. The ‘persistence’ of security alliances ........................................................................................... 33 2.1 Material variables ................................................................................................................... 34 2.2 Ideational variables ................................................................................................................. 36 2.3 Hybrid variables ...................................................................................................................... 39 3. The US-Japan alliance .................................................................................................................... 41 3.1. Historical overview and current situation .............................................................................. 43 3.2. Material variables .................................................................................................................. 48 3.3. Ideational variables ................................................................................................................ 50 3.4 Hybrid variables ...................................................................................................................... 53 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 2. Theory and methods ........................................................................................................... 57 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 57 1. Theoretical framework.................................................................................................................. 58 Grinberg 3 1.1. Deliberative public policy ....................................................................................................... 60 1.2. Discursive institutionalism ..................................................................................................... 62 1.3. Gradual institutional change theory ...................................................................................... 64 2. The interpretative approach ......................................................................................................... 65 2.1. Active agency ......................................................................................................................... 66 2.2. Institutions as argumentative fields....................................................................................... 69 2.3. Change and stability as inextricably linked ............................................................................ 70 2.4. Discourse ................................................................................................................................ 71 3. Methodological framework .......................................................................................................... 73 3.1. Traditional versus discursive approaches .............................................................................. 73 3.2. In favour of social-interactive discourse analysis .................................................................. 74 3.3. SIDA in practice (1): interviewing ........................................................................................... 77 3.4. SIDA in practice (2): fieldwork programme............................................................................ 80 3.5. SIDA in practice (3): data analysis .......................................................................................... 81 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 87 Chapter 3. Sites of diplomatic exchange: ‘The alliance rewrites itself’ ................................................ 89 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 89 1. Historical memory and threat perception ................................................................................ 90 1.1. The evolution of the ‘alliance’ and Japan’s defensive identity .............................................. 92 1.2. The alliance as the ‘cornerstone for peace’ ........................................................................... 94 1.3. Alliance management and its challenges ............................................................................... 96 1.4. The impact of the US ‘rebalance’ to Asia on the alliance ...................................................... 98 2. Defining and redefining security ................................................................................................. 101 2.1. The bases in Okinawa: a strategically important ‘burden’ .................................................. 103 2.2. Hatoyama and the alliance ‘crisis’ ....................................................................................... 107 2.3. Futenma as a ‘ticking clock’ ................................................................................................. 112 2.4. Abe and Nakaima ................................................................................................................. 114 3. Institutional and cultural identities ............................................................................................. 118 3.1. Division of official responsibilities over the bases ..............................................................