The Impact of Political Opportunity Structure on Anti-U.S. Military Base Movement Outcomes: Case Studies on Okinawa and the Philippines

Authors

Ryan M. Scoville, Brigham Young University
Dr. Ray Christensen, Brigham Young University

Keywords

political opportunity. anti-US military base movement, Okinawa, Philippines

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Political Science

Abstract

Two years ago, I traveled to Okinawa to interview head office staff for two of Japan’s biggest political parties and an editor for the Ryukyu Shinbun—Okinawa’s largest newspaper. While on the island I also collected Okinawan voting records for the past two decades of mayoral and prefectural elections. The purpose of these activities was to obtain new information on the anti- U.S. military base movement in Okinawa. I specifically wanted to know why the movement has been largely ineffective over the past three decades, what political forces have shaped its fate over time, and whether there has been an adverse relationship between the level of base-related crime and popular support for the Liberal Democratic Party—Japan’s main political party. ORCA Grant funding allowed me to complete and apply this field research, and I used the results in my Honors Thesis.

Recommended Citation

Scoville, Ryan M. and Christensen, Dr. Ray (2013) "The Impact of Political Opportunity Structure on Anti-U.S. Military Base Movement Outcomes: Case Studies on Okinawa and the Philippines," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2013: Iss. 1, Article 368.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2013/iss1/368