In contrast to the adversarial legalism of the US, Japan and South Korea have historically had informal, cooperative, and bureaucratic approaches to law and regulation. Yet, in the new millennium, we have seen more formal rules and enforcement mechanisms, including through the courts, in both countries. Celeste Arrington argues that existing explanations focused on top-down strategies led by politicians overlook how activists and lawyers are creating bottom-up pressure for more legalistic modes of governance. To demonstrate these developments, she looks at tightening smoking restrictions in the two countries which have moved “from manners to rules" (manā kara rūru e). This talk examines domestic reforms that advocates won by disseminating high-quality research about policy instruments, using litigation to expose weaknesses in existing laws, reframing the problem of secondhand smoke, and leveraging transnational and domestic networks. This paper contributes to broader scholarship on varieties of legalism, policy diffusion, and the judicialization of politics.
Admission/Cost: FREE Register
Location:
Online Streaming Event
Monday, February 28 - 5:00 PM to 6:00PM
