【The Politics of Change Vol. 5】 Trump and Koizumi: The Change Demanded by a Mature Society

The Aim of This Article

In modern democratic societies, change occurs not through revolution, but through elections. Through the Trump administration in the United States and the Koizumi administration in Japan, we will consider the form of "change demanded by a mature society."

Main Text

In the past, it was violent changes like revolutions and wars that drove society.
However, in modern developed countries, political systems are well-established, and people lead stable lives under the rule of law.
In such a mature society, change occurs not through "destruction" but through "choice."
In other words, people choose a strong leader and attempt to break through stagnation through that individual.

Symbolic figures of this were Donald Trump in the United States and Junichiro Koizumi in Japan.
Although their countries and eras differ, what they have in common is that "the long-standing political harmony reached its limit, and people sought a 'shake-up'."

Trump — The Leader of "Anti-Harmony"

When Donald Trump was elected in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the world received it with surprise.
The background to his gaining the support of many voters, despite being a businessman with no political experience, was disappointment with existing politics.

The politics of Washington that had continued for many years was a "politics of harmony" that emphasized consensus building.
However, due to widening inequality, regional decline, and immigration issues, some citizens felt that "that harmony did not include them."
Trump voiced those frustrations, championed "America First," and made "breaking existing politics" itself a symbol of change.

It is said that Trump's politics deepened divisions.
However, his existence demonstrated the limits of harmony in democracy.
No matter how well-established a system is, if people feel they are being "left behind," politics will again be demanded to change—the United States demonstrated that reality.

Koizumi — "Reform from Within Harmony"

Meanwhile, in Japan, the Junichiro Koizumi administration, which began in 2001, shook up politics and the economy, which had been in long-term stagnation.
With the strong phrase "destroy the Liberal Democratic Party," he criticized vested interests and bureaucracy-led politics.
That stance was an attempt to bring about change from within a conservative party; it was not a "revolution to destroy the system," but "reform from within the system."

Unlike Trump, Koizumi's political method was to build consensus while gaining the support of the public.
Policies such as the privatization of the postal service and structural reforms aimed to create a new balance by temporarily disrupting political harmony.
In other words, he did not bring about change to destroy harmony, but to bring it back to life.

The Psychology of Seeking a "Strong Leader"

What both have in common is that they appeared at a time when people were no longer satisfied with just "stability through consensus."
In a mature society, systems and order are well-established.
But at the same time, change is difficult to occur, and politics tends to stagnate.
Therefore, people sometimes demand "decisions over adjustments" and "action over consensus."

This is when a "strong leader" appears.
They are figures who give society the "power to move again" by shaking up existing rules and sparking debate.

Of course, the appearance of a strong leader also carries risks.
Because the power to move society can also become a power that creates division.
Even so, the reason people seek such leaders is an expression of their desire to overcome the stagnation lurking within stability.

Change as a "Shake-up," Not a Revolution

Neither Trump's nor Koizumi's politics were revolutions that completely transformed society.
However, their impact was significant, and they greatly moved politics and public consciousness.
Their appearance shows that modern change has entered an era where it "occurs through choice, not violence."

The politics of change is not about destroying order, but the power for people to choose "another path" of their own will.
It is also an expression of the will of a mature society to continue moving forward.