Civil Society As A Trigger for Institutional Change?: A Political Analysis of Biotech Regulations and Kyoto Protocol Implementation in Japan.

This paper applies the framework of comparative institutional analysis and identifies one causal mechanism for institutional change. The paper argues that, under certain conditions, the mobilization of civil society can destabilize the existing status quo and act as a trigger for institutional change. Emerging NGO coalitions in Japan have used the relay of local governments to build momentum for change and force a central government response. I present evidence drawn from two important recent cases: the shift in biotechnology (GMO) regulations and the politics of ratification and implementation of the Kyoto protocol in Japan. Such an analysis breaks new ground in the analysis of Japanese politics by bringing the study of civil society into the center of policy-making and integrating Japan within comparative models. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]