Sheet 4
GUIDE TO THE CASE "NO MORE PUBLICITY MONGERING"
The relationship between politicians and career officials is different in each country. Events in this case are assumed to take place in a democracy where legislative members and heads of executive branches are elected by the public.
In a democracy, politicians directly elected by the people decide which policies to pursue and career officials assist in the implementation of these. In this case, the secretariat makes an independent judgment and deliberately obstructs the politicians interests by manipulating information to their own effect.
Career officials must present all available information in support of the decision making process of politicians. When submitting information, they must present their opinions in an objective manner and be frank in discussions with decision makers. In this case, the secretariat manipulated information in such a way as to leave the minister with no alternative but to follow the option that they had predetermined. Their action stepped beyond the boundaries of their role as bureaucrats.
It would appear that Mr. Yamamoto, Director General and Mr. Yasukawa, Division Director imagined that being professionals, with years of experience in pension, their opinion was more valid than that of the minister. They assumed that the minister didn't know very much in this field and was therefore incapable of judging the situation correctly. This attitude is a form of arrogance that career officials, in particular, are in danger of developing.
The secretariat omitted information about the rates of return, excusing themselves with the idea that to make an accurate comparison between countries is difficult. The correct thing to do in a case like this is to present all available information, and explain it as clearly as possible so as to avoid misleading the recipient. The final decision is formed upon the information that has been provided. To omit information is to limit the options available to the decision makers. It is unusual for the task of creating an accurate comparison between countries to present any difficulty. It is even less plausible that the results of this could be in anyway misleading. This is a lame excuse. The secretariat obviously hid the information because its disclosure would have a negative impact on the present practices that they wished to maintain. Either that or they were incompetent of giving a proper explanation.
The disclosure of information not just to politicians but to the general public as well, is extremely important. This process creates an opportunity to integrate the knowledge and opinions of many people. With accurate information, there is a better chance of a effective judgments being made. To clarify how decisions are reached, we must examine the information on which they are based. This will prevent unfair and arbitrary judgment by the government.
