Class Supplement, TOEFL Essay, one important change in the government -partly rewritten-

Writing Topic: Suppose you had the power to make one important change in the government of your country. What change would you like to make, and why?

☆”One important change” → not two, not a marginal change
☆”in the government” → should be related to government reform

☆Hints for Points
money politics (“seiji to kane” no mondai):
Corrupted politicians receive money from interest groups (big business) in return for doing favor for them, which in turn support them in elections. They have weakened Japanese economy mainly by allocating large part of budget for building unnecessary airports, bridges, roads, facilities, and so on for decades. Anti-corruption laws have been enacted but there have always been loopholes and this problem never ends. Part of the problem is that those who make these laws are the very people who are regulated by them, politicians. Also, whistle-blowing will cost one’s job.
→ to establish a committee which is totally independent from the public sector and which makes original budget plans and has authority to intervene government spending

absence of accountability:
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, it has become clearer that no one in the cabinet can take a real initiative and responsibility, while everyone trying hard to hide information from the public. Group-orientation and custom of dodging responsibilities is the foundation of the Japanese system and therefore it is not likely to change easily.
→ to make a person who was coach of a big sport team or president of a huge company prime minister

golden parachute (amakudari):
Retired bureaucrats are given new jobs at government-related companies and receive a large sum of rewards for nominal positions. Budget screenings (shiwake) have weeded out many of these cases, but in some cases placement decisions had been made right before the screening.
→ to give bureaucrats opportunities to lean that there are many aspects of life that bring satisfaction other than money and power

decentralization (chihoubunken):
Japan is a highly centralized state where government bureaucrats take care of almost everything all over Japan. While this practice might be generally suitable for this small country, the drawback is less freedom in local governments and political apathy.
→ to partly shift authority in some areas such as education, welfare, and development