TOEFL iBT Academic Discussion and Writing One aspect of your country that you would like the government to improve

Question

What is one aspect of your country that you would like the government to improve or change?

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.        What is the problem or what is your concern?

2.        What needs to be done to deal with the issue?

3.        Who will benefit from the change?

4.        What are the expected drawbacks? Are there any countermeasures?

 

☆Hints for Points

1.        Low birth rates are shrinking the population. → Undo the deregulation of the labor law in order to prohibit employment of non-specialists as non-regular workers to revive the middle class, so that young people can have children without worrying about the future. Increase welfare and cancel sales tax, which was supposed to be used for pension but was actually used to make up for the tax cut for huge corporations and the wealthy, even though they have been making high profits and saving more than enough. Also, stop the invoice system to protect solo proprietors and small companies. Undo privatization of public services for the public good.

2.        Coronavirus is causing healthcare collapse. → Promote mask-wearing and ventilation. Also, start free PCR testing and early treatment by putting COVID-19 back to the 2^nd grade.

3.        The universal healthcare is at stake. → Stop linking it to the MyNumber card and do not allow American insurance companies to intervene Japanese healthcare.

4.        Immigrants in Japan are having a hard time. → Accept all immigrants before accessing their legitimacy. Improve laws and conditions of migrant workers.

5.        The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants are releasing stored contaminated water into the ocean. It is treated but still contains not only tritium but also other radioactive nuclides. Tritium itself is reported to cause cancer and influence heredity. → The government must stop the release and solidify the water with concrete.

6.        Japan has gotten poorer and cheaper than other major Asian countries. → Raising the minimum wage to 2,000 yen is necessary to keep up with the inflation. Japan is the only developed country whose minimum wage has not increased even though the economy is suffering from inflation like other countries. Also, repeal the doubling of the defense budget for doubling the military spending, which will end up lining the US military industrial complex and the related politicians.

7.        Self-sufficiency is very low (10-40%). → Protect farmers from low-priced imports. Be nice to China, to which we depend on for foods and fertilizer.

8.        Ultra-right politicians are up to change the pacifist Constitution into the same one that Imperial Japan had. → To make the core articles unchangeable would be a good idea.

9.        Schools and nurseries are losing teachers because of the demanding working conditions and the low pay. → Improvement of teachers’ work conditions is necessary.

10.     Ministry of Finance controls the government for their golden parachute. → Establishing the government pension system will make government bureaucrats cooperative to reforms of the government by the cabinet.

11.     The Liberal Democratic Party has dominated our politics since the end of WWII except for a couple of years, corrupted the whole society as well as the politics. → Abolishing the single-constituency system will allow politicians from other parties to be elected. Abolishing the expensive deposit for candidacy and taxing the inherited political fund will reduce corrupt politicians who never work for people.

 

☆Response for Ideas and Expression

I would like the government of Japan, where I live, to stop controlling the media. The late former prime minister Abe changed the interpretation of the Broadcast Act to intimidate television stations and make them refrain from broadcasting any dissenting opinions or information that disagree with the government propaganda. Magazines and newspapers have also been compromised by the appointment of Abe’s cronies to their CEOs. This has prevented people from learning the truth and made them ignorant, garbling the disinformation and revisionism. Now, access to correct information is available only through some independent media and social media. This situation is deteriorating our democracy and allowing fascism. Even though the tendency for totalitarianism among the population is also the cause of this situation, the plummeting ranking of our press freedom corresponds with our political decline, and thus rejuvenating the media is the priority in the government. (145 words)