Law and Public Policy
In the major “Law and Public Policy” you will develop the following basic skills in this academic field: the basic and theoretical way of thinking that is typical for the law; your legal mind; the understanding that public policy and the law are deeply connected; and the ability to create public policies informed by the law, in order to address different social problems.
What should we think of changes to the Japanese Constitution? How can we deal with the legal problems which occur for example in the arenas of individual or company ownership, trading, or contracts? What is the legal knowledge necessary to start and run a business? Which problems can the private sector alone not manage or solve, so that public policy has to step in? ? As a member of this major, you will become able to address problems like these on your own.
A legal mind or legal thinking is generally useful for work in a company. This major is especially helpful for you if you want to work as a public servant in the area of policy planning, or in the legal department of a company.
Using the Law to Create the Best Policies
"Law ? you can do research about that?" Sometimes people ask me this, and I think it has to do with the fact that law seems to be something you just learn by heart. Certainly there are some problems you can solve simply by knowing what the law says. However, for most social problems in our day and age, the law will not give us direct solutions. It is no more than a compass that shows us the way, and we have to deliberate whether we can solve a new problem with a new interpretation of a law left unchanged, or whether we have to change the law or even create new law.
My research area is economic law, especially the adequate application and execution of the Antimonopoly Act. Learning the Antimonopoly Act by heart will not help me find appropriate measures. I have to come up with ideas about how to maintain and promote competition, how to secure the benefit of consumers, or how to further the democratic development of the economy in an environment of increasing complexity, diversification, and globalization of industry and trade.
I hope that as a student of Saitama University Faculty of Economics you will come up with your own ideas!
Megumi TAHIRA
Constitutional Law / Civil Law / Political Science / Administration / Introduction to Public Policy
*Compulsory Elective Subjects
Property Law / Credit Law / Commercial Law / Corporate Law / Civil Procedure Law / Penal Law / Labor Law / Draft and Check Law / Economic Law / Administrative Law / Political History / Public Finance / Local Public Finance / Regional Self-Government / Social Security / English Academic Subjects
