Roles and Responsibilities of Politicians and Bureaucrats
Agreed at the Ministerial Conference
of 16 September 2009
It is necessary to review the relationship between politicians and bureaucrats and
establish leadership by politicians in order to bring about democracy in the truest sense.
The fundamental principle guiding both politicians and bureaucrats is that of committing
their full efforts to the realisation of the public interest, as have been set forth for some time in
the Rules Governing Ministers, Senior Vice Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries, Ethical
Practices for Politicians, and the National Public Service Ethics Code. On the basis of this
fundamental approach, the following has been compiled as guidelines for the Cabinet to
undertake in the near future, with an aim of having an appropriate segregation of duties and
cooperative relationship between politicians and bureaucrats.
The specific responses at each ministry will be based on the judgement and instructions
of the minister, in keeping with these guidelines.
1. Fundamental Understanding
[1] As persons having the power to legislate and who represent the people, politicians will
carry out their responsibility for oversight, to ensure that public administration is
conducted impartially and neutrally. In addition, under the parliamentary system they
will join the government as ministers, senior vice ministers, parliamentary secretaries,
etc. (hereinafter, “minister/ ministers etc.”) and responsibly formulate, coordinate and
decide upon policies for public administration while also engaging in the guidance and
supervision of the bureaucrats.
Bureaucrats, as servants of the entire nation, will respect the principle of political
neutrality and primarily implement policies and undertake the execution of individual
public administrative duties in keeping with their areas of expertise, based on laws and
ordinances.
[2] Politicians will take responsibility for formulating, coordinating, and deciding upon
policies. In keeping with the needs of the public grasped during the course of their
duties, bureaucrats will assist politicians in formulating, coordinating, and deciding upon
policies, such as through providing basic data and information for those policies,
presenting multiple options, and so on.
[3] Politicians and bureaucrats will have a relationship characterised by separate duties.
They will act as one in executing their duties for the nation and the people, each on the
basis of these separate duties.
1 [4] Politicians and bureaucrats must each respect these separate roles for which they are
responsible and always endeavour to create a relationship based on trust.
2. Guidelines for Responses
The following measures will be taken from the viewpoint of thoroughly instilling
leadership by the Cabinet into decision-making on government policies. With regard to the
relationship between politicians and bureaucrats, senior vice ministers and parliamentary
secretaries etc. will, based on instructions by the minister, carry out the roles stipulated in the
Rules Governing Ministers, Senior Vice Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries in an
appropriate and timely manner.
[1] Based on the provisions stipulated in Article 5, clause 3 of the Basic Act on Reform of
National Public Officers' Systems (Act No. 68 of 2008; enacted June 13, 2008), the
creation, retention, and other management of records of the interaction between
bureaucrats and politicians and the appropriate public disclosure of that information will
be implemented through provisions to be stipulated separately.
[2] During the process of formulating policies, such as the drafting of bills, reporting to the
minister, etc. is to be conducted in cases of politicians other than the minister, etc.
making specific requests or approaches to bureaucrats. In principle, bureaucrats will
not approach politicians other than the minister, etc. However, exceptions will be made
in cases in which these approaches are conducted under the guidance and supervision of
the minister, etc. in accordance with relevant established guidelines.
[3] Bureaucrats will fulfil their reporting duties by not keeping secret any information which
should be reported to the minister, etc. and by not providing biased information.
Furthermore, in accordance with the spirit of the National Public Service Act,
bureaucrats will, as servants of the entire nation, carry out in good faith the duties of
bureaucrats as elucidated in the Fundamental Understanding section above.
[4] Press conferences in which the positions of the ministries are expressed are to be
conducted by politicians, namely ministers etc. Administrative vice ministers and other
bureaucrats will not hold regular press conferences. However, in some cases
bureaucrats will conduct press conferences, when the minister etc. has determined that to
be appropriate, due to the need for a high degree of expertise or other such
circumstances.
[5] Senior officials in each ministry will provide guidance and supervision to their
subordinates so that inappropriate situations do not arise in relations between politicians
and bureaucrats. In addition, where appropriate, they will consult with the minister etc.
to assist in resolving the situation. Depending on the nature of the problem, the Cabinet
will respond even if the issue is confined to a single ministry.
2 3
3. Compliance
[1] The minister etc. will comply thoroughly with Section 1 (1), “Basic standards for duties”,
Section 1 (8), “Obligation to maintain confidentiality”, Section 1 (10), “Relations with
civil servants”, Section 2 (1), “Appropriate apportion of duties”, etc. stipulated in the
Rules Governing Ministers, Senior Vice Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries.
[2] Bureaucrats will comply with the National Public Service Ethics Code. In addition,
they will handle social meetings with politicians moderately.
Supplementary Provisions
Until the time that the items in section 2 [1] above, which are to be stipulated separately,
are set forth, the following measures will be taken:
[1] Bureaucrats shall report to the minister etc. in cases in which there are requests or
approaches from members of the Diet or their secretaries regarding the enforcement of
individual items of public administration (eg, adverse disposition, determination of the
delivery of subsidies, permits and licences, contracts) and in which it is extremely
difficult to respond because there is the possibility that impartiality and neutrality will