MacArthur succeeded in Japan by utilizing established mechanisms of credibility rather than imposing change wholesale: he photographed himself with the Emperor to acquire legitimacy, sent the Emperor on a public-relations tour to facilitate cooperation, and passed the new constitution through the Diet while accepting ~80-90% of Japanese leaders' suggested revisions—thereby lowering the transaction costs of coordinating people around a cooperative outcome.

causalpending

Speaker

Christopher Coyne

Evidence Quote

we utilized existing institutions which which lowered the transaction costs if you want to think about it that way of coordinating people around a cooperative outcome

Source

Christopher Coyne on Exporting Democracy after War 04/07/2008EconTalk
Created: 6/15/2026, 9:29:02 AM

My Notes

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