Making Reconstruction Work: Civil Society and Information after War’s End

This article develops and tests a general framework for explaining variations in the extent of postwar reconstruction. Existing studies point to the importance of economic resources and a coherent state apparatus in promoting effective reconstruction. This study argues that because reconstruction inherently requires coordination between numerous societal actors as well as between state and society, a full explanation for the extent of reconstruction must examine the linkages among those actors, especially civil society. By generating greater amounts of information, a more vibrant civil society leads to (a) better identification of needs, (b) more efficient implementation, and (c) more effective monitoring. Statistical analyses of newly assembled data from 46 Japanese prefectures lend support to the propositions advanced in the article.