INTERNATIONAL DETERMINANTS OF JAPANESE TRUST RATINGS OF FOREIGN NATIONS

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The study employs a multiregression model to test a hypothesis on international determinants of Japanese trust ratings of 32 foreign nations. I divide explanatory determinants into the following three categories: first, national characteristics of the 32 nation-objects (regime type, economic standard of living, and national power), second, economic interdependence between Japan and the 32 nation-obejcts, and third, inherent cultural similarity to Japan of the 32 nation-objects. I found that both the "political democracy" and "economic interdependence" variables have substantial impacts on Japanese trust ratings of the 32 foreign nation-objects. Based on these findings, it is basically argued that that the promotion of democracy for each nation and multi-level economic interdependence among nations apparently leads to good interpersonal relationship among their peoples as seen in high levels of trust. However, national power and cultural similarity are not good indicators for measuring Japanse turst ratings of foreign nations. Even if national power for a nation is colinear with its economic achievement, I could not find any statistically significant association between national power of a foreign nation-object and Japanese trust rating of that nation. An analysis of a dummy variable (cultural similarity) does not prove that the Japanese give higher trust ratings to East Asian nations than culturally dissimilar and geographically distant nations.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Japanese Trust Ratings of Foreign Nations
• A Regression Model on Japanese Trust Ratings of Foreign Nations
• National Characteristcs:Democracy, Economy and National Power
• Economic Interdependence and Trade
• Economic Interdependence and Trade
• Analysis 1
• Similarity and a Dummy Variable
• Analysis 2
• Conclusion