Transition and prospect of political model in rural area: a dual approach from agricultural economics and political science

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14998
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Agricultural science in rural society and development
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Iiguni Yoshiaki 高知大学, 教育研究部総合科学系黒潮圏科学部門, 教授 (40184337)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 上神 貴佳 岡山大学, 社会文化科学研究科, 教授 (30376628) ; 遠藤 晶久 早稲田大学, 社会科学総合学術院, 准教授 (80597815) ; 小川 寛貴 高知大学, 教育研究部人文社会科学系人文社会科学部門, 講師 (80825258)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 農山村 / 議会 / 自治 / 限界集落 / 人口減少

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to clarify the current situation and challenges of autonomy based on local legislature in rural area. Otoyo-cho (a town) in Kochi prefecture is selected as research field. The town is well known for drastic depopulation. Demographic change, voting behavior and support base of town council member are focused in the analysis.
The main results are as follows. First, the speed of depopulation has been accelerated from 2010, and communities began to disappear since the last 5 years accordingly. On the other hand, migrated population has increased especially in young generation. The demographic change causes change of support base area for town council candidates. The support base is expanding from the former community center area (Kominkan) to the neighboring areas and even to the whole town. The relationship between town autonomy and community (Shuraku) autonomy is weakening, and it is necessary to rebuild a new image of autonomy.

Free Research Field

農業経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的な意義は、久しく分析がなされていなかった農山村地域における議会自治の実態に迫る分析を行い、その現状の一局面を明らかにした点である。また、社会的な意義は今後さらに続くと予想される人口減少の中で地域の自治をどのように再構築すべきかを問いかけ、その基礎的な知見を得たことにある。