The greatest difference between democracy in Japan and the United States is that American citizens are more vocal and powerful than Japanese.

U.S. society is reliable, despite its many defects, because the public speaks out openly and independently of the government. In addition, citizens’ groups have the power to change things.

In Japan, in contrast, citizens’ groups have little say in discussions on major issues such as political reform, administrative reform or foreign policy.

I was keenly reminded of this gap between Japan and the United States when I heard former U.S. President Jimmy Carter say that he would be visiting North Korea as “a private citizen.”

As a researcher studying Japanese and U.S. government policies and policy-making mechanisms at a U.S. think tank, I would like to analyze the concepts of “private citizens” and “civic power” in the two countries.

Japanese people tend to think of Carter only as a former U.S. president. But since he left office, he has been active for more than 10 years―both in the United States and abroad―in the fields of human rights, housing election monitoring and conflict resolution.

He has been able to do so because he had support from the public and received large donations from individuals and private organizations.

The essential factor in any democracy is to have an energetic citizenry that keeps a close watch on the government and is not afraid to point out government mistakes or present their own ideas. In other words, there must be―outside the govenment―citizens’ groups fully aware of social problems and ready to act to solve them.

In U.S. society, there are many citizens’ groups working in a variety of fields. Some groups study the federal or state governments’ policies, others look into social welfare servicess and others work to protect the rights of consumers or minority groups.

Private, nonprofit organizations promote and back up such citizens’ groups in the United States, and these groups’―which comprise about 10 percent of the U.S. working population―play a major role in society, and their activities are considered part of the U.S. economy.

While not all of their activities directly contribute to democracy, these grass roots movements are a vital and dynamic part of U.S. society.

“U.S. democracy is dear, and we are taking every opportunity to teach our children about human rights, freedom and democracy at home and in other places,” one housewife observed.

In addition to teaching their children about democracy, many U.S. citizens donate money to citizens’ groups in the belief that just trusting the government and paying taxes is not enough.

According to statistics, each U.S. family spends two hours per week on volunteer activities and contributes $650 annually to citizens’ groups.

Private contributions to such groups totaled about $126 billion in 1993, accounting for about 2.5 percent of the gross national income.

In addition, private companies and foundations provide citizens’ groups with funds. Foundations, especially, have played a key role by supporting experimental and creative projects, including innovative studies and programs for social reform.

There are more than 30,000 foundations in the United States. The largest, the Ford Foundation, distributes $240 million annually and tackled urban problems before the government did. In addition, the Ford Foundation invests funds in experimental projects and research and has seen its results reflected in federal and local government policies.

There are many other important U.S. foundations, such as the MacArthur Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation. In addition, there are smaller foundations serving local communities.

Recently, some foundations have given financial assistance to a think tank established to promote policy debates in Eastern Europe.

Private nonprofit organizations are not directly controlled by the U.S. government, and they can obtain tax-exempt status if they apply for permission from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. As a result, donations are tax-free.

One can see that U.S. foundations have different functions from those in Japan, which shoulder part of the government’s financial burdens and help the government’s ministries and agencies expand their rights and interests and secure post-retirement posts for their executives.

Of course, some U.S. foundations try to evade taxes and misappropriate funds.But they tend to correct their mistakes with a sense of mission to contribute todemocratic society and make public their activities and accounts.

In Japan, there are hardly any systems that promote the growth of such independent foundations and citizens’ groups. Recently, there has been a debate about nonprofit organizations in Japan. The most effective way to resolve the problem of back-scratching between politicians, bureaucrats and nonprofit organizations is not to strengthen the government’s control but to formulate a system that will allow the public to express itself and demonstrate its power.

While democracy is believed to be the best political system, it remains far from perfect in Japan. The Japanese must be aware that they cannot take a free ride on democracy.

The world is now in the midst of dramatic changes and so is Japan.

Established systems, such as political and administrative ones, are no longer able to deal with various social needs. Now is the time for the Japanese to boost their “civic power” by contributing the necessary costs out of their own pockets.