Asian Salad has so far been a mere dumping ground for my random thoughts. The content, for that reason, made absolute no use for my readers. So, in an effort to broaden my readership, I decide to start writing some "how-to" or "know-how" articles which hopefully can connect me to people that I don't know but nevertheless, should meet.
And here is a short perface for the following article: I have been awarded to MEXT research scholarship through the university recommendation by Todai. While the application process might differ from the route through the embassy, I believe the application form and the supporting documents required is the same between the two. So here you go, the following is my research proposal written specifically for MEXT. It is meant to serve as a resource/reference to prospective MEXT applicants who find the application guidelines confusing and frustratingly vague.
Field of Study
My academic interest revolves around the study of democracy, inequality and economic development in the East Asian region. In the framework of Western ideology, we tend to associate democracy with a general increase of the citizens' living standard and yet, times and times again, democracy as a means to bring stability and prosperity has failed miserably and resulted in bloody riots and thousands of casualties. In Africa where dozens of pseudo democracies were established the last century, elections are usually accompanied with high risk of violence. Just 2 years ago, more than 1,300 Kenyans were killed in the outburst of post-election violence when Mr. Kibaki was declared the winner before the election commissioner knew who won. Most recently in Thailand as well, thousands of the red-shirted protesters paralyzed most regular economic activities in Bangkok and more than three dozens of civilians and military personnel were killed as the violent protest turned the bustling city into a war zone. So does democracy really hold the glamour that the West has proclaimed and what are some of the necessary elements that should go inside the design of democracy to achieve political equilibrium?
To answer the above questions, we need to quantify the appetite for democracy and develop a sensitive definition of inequality in each East Asia country as it relates to the local economic condition and social circumstances. And complicating the matter further, the growing interdependence among different East Asian economies makes defining the economic basis of democracy all the more difficult in an era of rapid globalization. To reduce the complexity in developing a model that incoporates all factors, I intend to isolate some of the key attributes of each factor and study the relative impact on each other. The below outlines my main research interests:
1. Inequality vs Economic Growth: Is wealth disparity an inevitable result as the market is trying to achieve optimal efficiency - that a market-oriented economy will reward some groups handsomely while punishing other groups economically? Among the advanced economies in the world, the United States has one of the highest income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient. China as well, sees its income gap widening as it has become the third largest economy in the world. Assuming the relative earning of both high-income and low-income groups rise on similar level, income inequality is not as big of an issue when economic growth is high. However, when the growth slows down or economy sinks into a recession, the contrast will become more glaring. So what is the government's responsibility, if any, to redistribute economic assets among different groups and when can we justify a market intervention?
2. Democracy vs Economic Growth: The interrelation between democracy and economic development is an intrigued one and few studies have thus provided empirical evidence enabling us to pinpoint the extent to which the benefits a democracy can bring forth to a transitioning society. A related question is whether economic growth will reinforce the current political regime (assumingly a non-democractic one) or trigger a demand for democracy as the citizens’ living standard increases. Historically, dictatorship arises in times of economic turmoil but will the voice crying for democracy become louder as the level of income and education rises among the citizens?
In my next two years at University of Tokyo, I hope to develop a solid understanding and be able to analyze and dissect the policy issues facing East Asia, incorporating cultural elements specific to the region into my research. It is my goal to eventually acquire a PhD and become an expert in East Asian comparative politics.
Study Program in japan in detail and concreteness:
"Redistribution Policy Formulation: Degree of inequality accepted by the citizens among different East Asian regions"
As the gap of prosperity diverges, social contradictions develop and can post a serious threat to the stability of the region. The degree of inequality accepted by the citizens of each region differs and is largely pending on their own perception of social upward mobility, i.e. if they believe that the opportunities and channels to climb up the rug of the social ladder are ample, their tolerance to inequality in correlation, is higher. Redistribution policies, such as a progressive tax system and minimum wage protection, should be devised based on such perception. In this study, I hope to quantify this relation by developing a model that incorporates the individual's own utility function, that is, inequality perception due to the channels of upward mobility, and analyze the relative implication of each region's Gini coefficient, which is a general measure of wealth disparity. The goal of this study is to define the fine line between a tolerable and an intolerable degree of inequality. The second aspect of this study is to examine the effects of some of the common redistribution policies and categorize them based on the degree of inequality in the different East Asian regions. This part of the study can be measured through the transfer of disposable income among different social groups.
"Economic performance and income inequality: A case study of inequality in Japan between 1980 and 2010"
The goal of this study is to quantify the interrelationship between economic performance and income inequality. Among the advanced economies in the world, Japan has been thought of as relatively equal with the Gini coefficient standing at around 0.3 in the last few decades despite a downturn of its economy since the early 90s. This study aims to examine the policies and social factors that helped to shape an equal society and whether this "equality", highlighted by the lack of flexibility in its labor market, is contributing to the continued economic stagnation in Japan. Another aspect of this study is to examine whether reform policies to introduce competition into the economy would worsen income disparity in the next generation to come.
As the gap of prosperity diverges, social contradictions develop and can post a serious threat to the stability of the region. The degree of inequality accepted by the citizens of each region differs and is largely pending on their own perception of social upward mobility, i.e. if they believe that the opportunities and channels to climb up the rug of the social ladder are ample, their tolerance to inequality in correlation, is higher. Redistribution policies, such as a progressive tax system and minimum wage protection, should be devised based on such perception. In this study, I hope to quantify this relation by developing a model that incorporates the individual's own utility function, that is, inequality perception due to the channels of upward mobility, and analyze the relative implication of each region's Gini coefficient, which is a general measure of wealth disparity. The goal of this study is to define the fine line between a tolerable and an intolerable degree of inequality. The second aspect of this study is to examine the effects of some of the common redistribution policies and categorize them based on the degree of inequality in the different East Asian regions. This part of the study can be measured through the transfer of disposable income among different social groups.
"Economic performance and income inequality: A case study of inequality in Japan between 1980 and 2010"
The goal of this study is to quantify the interrelationship between economic performance and income inequality. Among the advanced economies in the world, Japan has been thought of as relatively equal with the Gini coefficient standing at around 0.3 in the last few decades despite a downturn of its economy since the early 90s. This study aims to examine the policies and social factors that helped to shape an equal society and whether this "equality", highlighted by the lack of flexibility in its labor market, is contributing to the continued economic stagnation in Japan. Another aspect of this study is to examine whether reform policies to introduce competition into the economy would worsen income disparity in the next generation to come.
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