한국정치의 미국화 과정에 대한 분석과 조망 - 노무현 대통령의 최근 대연정 발언을 중심으로

Americanization Of Korean Politics: Roh Moo Hyun and the Emergence of the Gridlocked System

  Several studies have dealt with the impact of adopting American way of campaigning on prevailing campaign practices in East Asian countries. There are, however, few studies that examine the Americanization of governing style in East Asian regions. By Americanization of governing I mean the institutional settings of republican check and balance, going public strategies, and weak party discipline. This study examines the Americanization of Korean politics, especially during early Roh government. We found that recent political deadlock between ruling government and opposition parties was partly due to Roh government"s disjointed efforts to establish American way of governing that tends to privilege compromise and stability at the expense of alienating dynamic social forces beyond representative system. This study suggests more reflective Americanization based on considering distinctive Korean political contexts as well as new interpretation of American tradition that underscores the central role of the people in supplying government with its energy and direction.