Does Japan have a Gray Democracy? An empirical analysis of prefectural data

Manabu Shimasawa, Kazumasa Oguro and Nao Toyoda

No 615, CIS Discussion paper series from Center for Intergenerational Studies, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University

Abstract: This study examines whether or not aging is increasing the political influence wielded by Japan’s elderly and promoting a so-called “gray democracy.” Using a median voter model based on data from Japan’s 47 prefectures during the period from 2000 to 2010, we examined the relationship between aging and geriatric expenditures. As a result, controlling income, expenditures, economic conditions, and political factors, we found that geriatric welfare expenditures increase along with median age. The findings utilizing this median voter model imply that the aging median voter may be able to gain substantial benefit through voting. If this prefectural-level relationship between aging and increasing geriatric expenses is reflected on a national level, one may conclude that Japan’s continued aging will likely strengthen the political influence of the elderly with respect to increased social security benefits.

Keywords: aging; political aging; panel data; political economy; median voter model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C23 H55 J18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 18 pages
Date: 2014-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-cdm, nep-pbe and nep-pol
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hit:cisdps:615

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