NIRA OPINION PAPER
No.67 | June 2023

Why Do the Voices of the People Go Unheard
in Government?
- Aligning Public Sentiment with Government Action Through Policy Co-Creation -Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
On February 4, 2023, the Nippon Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) held
the NIRA Forum 2023 on the topic of “Why Do the Voices of the People Go Unheard inGovernment? Aligning Public Sentiment with Government Action Through Policy CoCreation.”
As Japan’s population decline accelerates along with the prospects for meaningful
growth of the economic pie of its society, Japanese politics must transform into a venue formaking difficult decisions around burden sharing. Politicians must exercise leadership bypresenting realistic policies that are able to convince Japan’s citizens that even if the choices
to be made are unpleasant in the short term, that they are necessary for maximizing thehappiness and wellbeing of the people, including themselves, in the foreseeable future. This
goes beyond merely being responsive to the interests and sentiments voters express in the
moment, but coming together with them to collaborate on the development of practicalpolicies that are responsible in securing the long-term welfare of the people, society, future
generations, and ultimately themselves.
To achieve this, the government must establish a flexible agile policymaking
mechanism that enables Japan to change direction as circumstances dictate and undergirds
the unity necessary to pursue reform. In service of this goal, the government must further
promote the opening of administrative data and build logical arguments for its policy
positions from a large array of diverse data.
Moreover, it is crucial to create a space for policy co-creation where people andpoliticians can engage in informal and open discussions to jointly identify socially responsible
policies. This will require establishing a truly “deliberative democracy” centered on dialogue,
by revising the existing democratic discussion process to ensure that people feel theiropinions are reflected in policy. It will also require that politicians increase transparency andaccountability in decision-making, in part by competing to offer voters real choice between
multiple potential policy options based on clear public deliberation. The continued
sustainability of Japan’s democracy hinges on the development and deployment of themechanisms for both agile policymaking and a more deliberative democracy.

Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023

NIRA Forum 2023 Panelists• Karen Makishima
Former Minister of Digital / Member of House of Representatives• Shigeki Uno
Professor, University of Tokyo• Yasufumi Kanemaru
Chairman and President, Future Corporation / Chairperson, NIRA
• Sayoko Shimoyama
Representative Director, LinkData.org• Tetsuki Tamura
Professor, Nagoya University• Masaki Taniguchi
Professor, University of Tokyo / President, NIRA
• Noriyuki Yanagawa
Professor, University of Tokyo
Date：2/4/2023
Location：Akasaka Intercity Conference Center AICC “the AIR”
For the opening keynote, Masaki Taniguchi, President of NIRA and a professor at the Universityof Tokyo discussed the following issues:

Being Responsible Today for the People of Tomorrow
The increasing tensions between the U.S. and China, along with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, isdeepening divisions within the international community. Until very recently, the world benefitted
from increasing economic interdependence through the globalization of people, goods, money, andinformation, yet there is now a palpable and growing sense of uncertainty about the direction of
globalization. Japan, meanwhile, stands at the forefront of a different kind of uncertainty, about
the sustainability of social security systems and local communities amidst population decline
driven by a low birthrate and an aging population, something many other countries are forecast
to experience.
Amidst the harsh reality that we can no longer count on being able to grow the economic “pie” ofsociety, the politics of the day necessarily revolve around the unenviable task of making difficult
Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023
decisions about how best to distribute economic pain. Thus, the theme of today's discussion, “WhyDo the Voices of the People Go Unheard in Government?”, does not refer merely to how people
react to policies based on their calculation of whether it will be a net gain or loss personally, nor isit overly concerned with those closest to the government and political parties, whose voices alreadypossess outsized influence policymaking. What is important is that governments, political parties,
and individual politicians not only heed the expressed desires of voters, but also exercise leadershipby presenting realistic policies that have their long-term interests at heart and explaining how,even if they seem like a bitter pill to swallow today, they will ultimately maximize overall wellbeing
in the not-so-distant future. This means being responsive not only to the interests and sentiments
voters express in the moment, but working jointly with them to develop practical policies that are
responsible in securing the long-term welfare of the people, society, and future generations.
For this to work however, I believe people must be able to trust that, even when tough choices haveto be made, politicians will do right by them. Such trust will make it easier for people to accept
such decisions as legitimate, even if they do not actively support. Unfortunately, the reality is that
the Japanese people's trust in politics is shockingly low. According to the World Values Survey,
Japan ranks 41st out of 48 countries in trust in government, 38th in trust in political parties, and40th in trust in the national legislature. This is literally a situation of “ without the trust of thepeople, there can be no government,” as expressed in the Analects of Confucius.
So, how can Japan overcome the trust deficit in its politics and find a breakthrough for consensus?
It clearly cannot be achieved by merely leaving it to the government, political parties, andpoliticians, nor is it a matter of simply expanding traditional political participation. We need tocreate new spaces for policy co-creation, where the public and the government work together tofind consensus through new forms of deliberation.
Next, as part of the keynote report, former Minister for Digital and Member of the House ofRepresentatives, Karen Makishima, discussed the following issues.

Responding to an Era of Diversity Through Agile Policy Formation
When I have discussions with the younger generation in Japan, they often say things such as, “wecan't see what politicians are doing,” “policies are not well explained,” and “politics are toocomplicated and difficult to understand.” Thus, while on the one hand, the distance between
ordinary people and politicians can be said to have narrowed somewhat in the digital age, many
people still feel disconnected from politics, and rarely discuss it in their everyday lives.
Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023
To rectify this and implement policies that are responsive to the greater diversity of today’s society,I believe we must urgently adopt agile policy formation. “Agile,” originally a term from systems
development meaning “quick and coordinated,” is used in policy formation to imply “flexibility.”
What was right last year may not be right this year, and sometimes policy shifts are required. We
need to increase flexibility in policy formation and shed the overly risk adverse mindset ofpolicymakers who traditionally believed that “it is safer and less damaging to avoid change
whenever possible.”
One example of agile policy formation is the development of the vaccine record app by the Digital
Agency. The development was approached with the idea of constantly updating the app based onuser feedback, similar to how private sector apps are developed. Feedback was gathered from local
government officials, including mayors, medical practitioners, and residents. This allowed us tomonitor the daily vaccination status of each municipality through data and recognize regional
differences. By considering what incentives could help us achieve our goals, public policy was able
to be updated as needed. Such flexible policy formation must not be allowed to lapse as other
COVID “emergency measures” have, but should instead be established as standard practice. In
closing one concern I do have is that while we must be agile, we must also be wary ofoversimplifying complex issues and assuming that we understand them in too short of a time.
While simple explanations can sometimes be important, regularly oversimplifying complex
matters risks losing sight of the truth. It is also critically important to explain things to the public
in a thorough and careful manner.
Following the above remarks by Masaki Taniguchi and Karen Makishima, a panel discussion was
held.

Strengthening Unity in An Increasingly Diverse Society
The rapid advancement of digitalization, and the marked increase in the diversity of individuals
in society has made it more difficult than ever to find the commonalities that have traditionally
fueled conversations. In the past, there were many cultural touch stones, such as popular TV
shows and music that, broadly speaking “everyone knew,” which made it easy to hold aconversation even with people you just met. However, the rise of the internet has led to an era
where people are exposed to a much wider variety of content leading to a society where individuals
have much more diverse interests. While greater diversity is, generally speaking, a positive
development to be celebrated, the loss of widespread cultural touchstones, and shared experiences,
has made it more challenging to consolidate opinions.
Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023
University of Tokyo Professor Noriyuki Yanagawa notes that this due to this societal
transformation, which has led to a much greater diversity of opinion, so called “average” measuresof public opinion are meaningless because such an average person does not truly exist. This
severely complicates any attempt to develop public policy that can truly be said to be responsive
to, and representative of, public opinion.
Bringing the diverse voices of the people into representative politics necessarily requires
consolidating public opinion through repeated logical discussion. Without logic, discussions often
end up being little more than emotional arguments. This tendency is especially prevalent on social
media, where complex issues are often oversimplified and differences of opinion magnified. This
radicalization of debate clouds out rationality, creating a situation in which it often becomes
extremely difficult to implement even the most logical and straightforward of public policy. A
thorough, more logical understanding of the differences that fuel opposing viewpoints, such as
differences in values, data sources, and time horizons, should be considered the bare minimum fora more effective consolidation of public opinion.
However, such an understanding alone will still be insufficient to achieve a true consolidation of
public opinion. Much like with industry associations, the voices of those whose livelihoods areaffected by policy changes will often be amplified, while the rest are diminished. What is required
to consolidate public opinion is a consideration for how to build trust, connections and a sense of
mutual agreement amongst the public.
Yasufumi Kanemaru, Chairman and President of Future Corporation and Chairperson of the
Nippon Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) emphasized the need for “unity” in reform.
When trying to initiate reforms, there will always be pushback from those with vested interests or
those who are satisfied with the status quo. If the influence of such vested interests is strong
enough, they will inevitably come into conflict with the drive for reform, and all too often this will
create pressure to conform and prioritize the voice of organizations that will cause the reform tofail. Support from opinion leaders, the media, and the upper echelons of government can overcome
such resistance to change and improve society. However, in Japan, a lack of such support often
leads to half-hearted efforts that result only in widespread dissatisfaction, contributing to a feelingthat the “people's voices are not being heard.” What is needed in government are bottom-up efforts
for change by younger bureaucrats, and effective leadership from senior directors and ministers inbringing them together. Rather than make excuses for why change and consensus are difficult wemust work to increase unity and craft better public policy.

Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023

Democratic Decision-Making Through Basic Arithmetic
The discussions so far have revealed a limitation in the modern system of representative
democracy: people's voices do not always reach the government. How can we bridge the gap
between the opinions of the people and the policies pursued by those in government? Below, we
explore ideas and practical tips for this, highlighting the importance of revisiting the processes ofour systems of representative democratic governance.
The concept of democracy, originating from ancient Greece as direct democracy, differs significantly
from the representative democracy that emerged after the Middle Ages in Europe. The former
represents a system of “people having power,” where ordinary people participate in politics andbear responsibility due to their participation. The latter system operates through elected
representatives who express the will of the people.
University of Tokyo Professor Shigeki Uno points out that the tendency to refer to both systems as
simply “democracy,” creates a structural gap within society, a mismatch between expectations andreality. People are taught to believe that “Democracy” is supposed to be a system in which eachindividual can participate as if they were the protagonist in a story, but in reality, it doesn’t workthat way, creating a cognitive disconnect. This might be part of what drives the dissatisfaction ofpeople who say “our voices are not being heard.”
Discussion is crucial if we are to resolve this discrepancy. Jiro Kawakita, the developer of the KJ
method, believes that democracy should be seen as basic arithmetic. It starts with “addition,”where everyone's opinions are gathered. Then comes “multiplication,” where opinions are allowed
to clash to generate new ideas. Next is “subtraction,” the process of narrowing down the options
for practical policy. Finally, we come to “division,” in which we assess how many people support
each option. By repeatedly conducting this process it is possible to give people a sense ofsatisfaction, that “we participated, and our opinions were heard.”

Securing Deliberative Democracy Amidst an Era of “Unheard” and “Overheard”
Voices in Society
While it is often said that we are in an era in which people feel their voices go unheard, it can also
be said that we are in an era in which some voices are “overheard.” Opinions expressions on social
media and the polarized views within society that they represent, reach politicians, politicalparties, and a large number of people directly. Meanwhile, the advancement of digital technology

Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023
has made photo, video and audio recording ubiquitous, so much so that we now hear even thatwhich goes unsaid.
In the following section, Professor Tetsuki Tamura of Nagoya University points out how the
problems of both “unheard” and “overheard” voices impact our society, arguing that “deliberative
democracy,” centered on discussion, is supposed to play a significant role in balancing out“overheard” voices.
Deliberative democracy has two major functions. The first is to convey voices that go “unheard”
via the existing channels of election-based representation. Where it's difficult for people's voices toreach political parties and politicians, setting up forums for discussion can rewire the circuitry ofrepresentative democracy, restoring this essential function. Particularly noteworthy is the attempt
to include “unheard” voices through the lottery based selection of citizens chosen at random toparticipate in discussions on specific topics, allow decision makers to hear voices that would
otherwise remain unheard.
The second function of deliberative democracy is the critical role it plays in modulating the“overheard” voices in society. A successful democracy isn’t necessarily one that simply delivers allvoices to policymakers as is. “Overheard” voices can confuse governments, political parties, andpoliticians, and even lead them to disregard the will of the people. The essence of democracy lies
in making decisions together as a collective 'we/us'. This necessitates each individual's willingness
to consent to 'letting go of their voice' when necessary, content in the knowledge that it has been
heard. Given that our perceptions can be wrong, and opinions misguided, there is a need forrefinement in the voices delivered to policymakers. This is precisely where the deliberative
function of democracy becomes crucial, serving to distill the multitude of voices into a coherent
directive.
Of course, deliberation doesn't always result in agreement. However, even in the event that adisagreement persists after deliberation, that deliberation still serves important roles such as
more widely communicating the seriousness of an issue within society and politics, leading to moreconsidered responses and the re-evaluation of existing views. It can also help encourage mutual
respect amongst those who hold opposing views, normalizing a culture of acceptance toward
healthy dissent that can alleviate overt confrontation and polarization.

Advancing Data Utilization for Consensus Building

Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023
Sayoko Shimoyama, Representative Director of Link Data, advocates for sharing and utilizing
data to bridge the gap between people and the government and enable consensus building.
As a leading example, she cites Barcelona's “Superblock Concept,” the plan for which called for
repurposing roads as public spaces, restricting their use by cars to reduce pollution and create newareas for people to interact. Barcelona successfully formed a consensus by using simulations to
calculate how much traffic, pollution, and noise would be reduced, explaining the expected impact
in a simple, numbers-oriented manner that ordinary people could understand. Now, the spaces
once occupied by intersections have become community relaxation spots, contributing to a feelingof improved urban development.
One of the keys to this success was data accumulation. As an advanced smart city, Barcelona has
installed a wide variety of sensors throughout the city. This has enabled the city to lay a solid
foundation for consensus building via the routine accumulation of data in an accessible format.
Another key factor was the open data initiative. In Barcelona, there is a belief that “administrative
data belongs to the citizens and must be returned to them,” promoting data that is open and easy
to parse. This data democratization has transformed a realm that was previously the exclusive
domain of policy experts and made it something accessible to everyone. Open data helps resolve
information asymmetry between government and the private sector, smoothing public-private
collaborations. Furthermore, ensuring people are looking at the same, accurate data, enables them
to approach issues from a similar informed perspective and thus more easily engage in productive
discussions.
All of that said, there are important caveats to keep in mind when encouraging the broader
utilization of data. Professor Yanagawa points out that while it is critical that discussions are
based on data, there also exists the danger that erroneous decisions could be made based on only
a limited number of data points. Therefore, it is essential that the process of decision making be
undertaken only after an exhaustive data collection phase, a comprehensive examination of thedata collected, and a logical process of selecting and interpreting the most relevant information.
Here, Professor Uno noted that the deployment of more efficient and convenient tools does not inand of itself lead to more active policy discussions. In Barcelona for example, the background to its
success was the active participation of its citizens. Thus, a solid foundation of mutual trust between
the public and policymakers can be considered a natural prerequisite to effective policymaking.
The inverse of this can be seen in Japan, where the government’s attempt to deploy the My
Number Card system to better manage social services has been stymied by the sense of crisis felt
by the Japanese public which is extremely apprehensive of entrusting their personal information
Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023
to the government. For people to feel comfortable with the collective utilization of data, trust is key.
It is through active participation in civil society that individuals come to feel embedded ingrassroots democracy, and that democracy itself is fully realized.

Towards Policy Co-Creation for the Future
Throughout NIRA Forum 2023, a common theme among the panelists was how to appropriately
aggregate the voices of public opinion to form a consensus amidst an era of digitalization andgreater societal diversity. Due in part to a diminished sense of commonality, driven by a decline in
the homogeneity traditionally associated with the middle class, and an increased emphasis onindividual diversity, polarized debates increasingly dominate social media. As the panelists
discussed, it is crucial not only to create pathways for delivering people's voices to those in power
but also to moderate voices that are overly amplified. Achieving this balance is essential for theappropriate aggregation of opinions and for enhancing the public's sense of consensus andacceptance. The forum highlighted the need for a reassessment of the process for discussions
within democracy. This involves not only designing processes that build logical arguments on asolid foundation of diverse data but also adequately explore the logical reasons why opinions differ.
At the same time, those on the policy-making side must also be willing to change and ensure they
are appropriately receptive to the voices of the people. Each of these points speaks to the need toembed agile policy-making processes that are attuned to societal conditions and public opinion,
capable of flexibly altering their course and able to gather the necessary momentum for real reform.
No political system is perfect, which is precisely why we must engage as many people as possible
in a more informal and open dialogue that can through deliberation be refined and delivered topolicymakers to address society's challenges. At the same time, it is imperative for politicians toengage in genuine competition, offering voters a choice among multiple parties with differing
approaches to these challenges. Furthermore, enhancing transparency and accountability inpolitical decision-making allows for the swift correction of policies that do not achieve the intended
outcomes or are otherwise erroneous. The discussions at the NIRA Forum 2023 underscore theimportance of establishing mechanisms to accomplish these objectives simultaneously, which is
crucial for the sustainability of our democracy.

Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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NIRA OPINION PAPER
No. 67 | June 2023

Note
This paper summarizes presentations and discussions from the NIRA Forum 2023 held on February 4,2023, titled “Why Do the Voices of the People Go Unheard in Government? - Policy Co-Creation
Connecting People and Government.” The compilation of this paper was coordinated by Atsushi Inoue,
Research Coordinator and Researcher at the Nippon Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA).

Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Nippon Institute for Research Advancement
This is a translation of a paper originally published in Japanese. NIRA bears full responsibility for the translation
presented here. Translated by Jonathan Webb.

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