In 1868, the Japanese state began a process of policy reform and economic transformation over the next several decades known as the Meiji Restoration. Which of these policies did not contribute to Japan's economic self-sustaining growth during this period?

Question

In 1868, the Japanese state began a process of policy reform and economic transformation over the next several decades known as the Meiji Restoration.  Which of these policies did not contribute to Japan's economic self-sustaining growth during this period?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: The prompt asks which policy did NOT contribute to Japan's economic self-sustaining growth during the Meiji Restoration period, asking us to identify the non-contributor from the listed options.

Since the provided data includes only one answer option and no separate list of answer choices, we will analyze the given option in the context of Meiji era reforms and then explain why this option is unlikely to be the correct non-contributor.

Option under consideration: 'Putting up high tariffs on imported goods and lowering taxes on farmers.'

Analysis of whether high tariffs contributed to growth: During the Meiji period, the government actively used protectionist tariff policy to shield emerging Japanese industries from established rivals, especially from industrial powers abroad. Tariffs helped create a domestic market, encouraged investment in mechanization, and supported the growth of infant industries such as textiles and heavy industry. This protective tariff strategy is widely seen as one of the tools that contributed to Japan’s rapid industrialization, making high tariffs a contributing factor to self-sustaining growth.

Analysis of whether lowering taxes on farmers contributed to growth: Land taxes and agrarian reforms were central to securing government revenue and reorganizing the economy. While some policy changes sought to alleviate peasant burdens to maintain social stability, lowering taxes on farmers would, in many analyses, reduce the state revenue base needed to finance industrialization, infrastructure, and military modernization. A reduction in farmer taxes would be less directly linked to promoting industrial self-sufficiency and could even undermine fiscal stability, which is contrary to the needs of a state-led growth model.

Synthesis: The statement combines two components. The high tariffs component aligns with policy tools that supported industrial growth, while the lowering of taxes on farmers is more ambiguous and less characteristic as a driver of rapid industrialization. However, because high tariffs are generally recognized as contributing to growth, the overall claim that the entire policy combination did not contribute is not accurate if we interpret the option as a whole.

Potential misconceptions addressed:
- If one assumes tariffs never helped growth, that would ignore historical evidence of protectionism aiding infant industries.
- If one assumes agricultural tax policy is irrelevant to growth, that overlooks how secure revenue and fiscal capacity were crucial to funding Meiji modernization.

In summary, the option asserts a non-contributor policy mix, but the protective tariff aspect of the policy actually supported growth, while the revenue implications of farmer taxes are more complex. Therefore, as a single statement, this option is not clearly the best choice for a non-contributor, given the well-documented growth-stimulating role of tariffs in Meiji industrialization.

Note: The analysis above uses the historical understanding that tariff protection contributed to Meiji industrial growth, while fiscal reforms involving farmers’ taxes were primarily about revenue and social stability rather than chip away at growth drivers. The lack of a full list of answer options in the provided data limits a direct, definitive selection from multiple choices.

25W-INTL DV-130-LEC-1 2/6 Midterm exam - Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

In 1868, the Japanese state began a process of policy reform and economic transformation over the next several decades known as the Meiji Restoration. Which of these policies did not contribute to Japan's economic self-sustaining growth during this period?

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