政治・経済

国際社会こくさいしゃかいはその国くにの主権しゅけんを尊重そんちょうする義務ぎむがある。

The international community has a duty to respect that country's sovereignty.

Usage 主権国家, 主権を侵す, and 主権在民 — sovereignty resting with the people, a phrase from constitutional debate. Legal and political register throughout.

Remember it 主 (master) + 権 (authority) → the authority that answers to no one above it.

この地域ちいきは長年ながねんにわたって外国がいこくに統治とうちされていた。

The region was governed by a foreign power for many years.

Usage 統治する, 統治機構, 植民地統治 for colonial rule. Governing as holding a territory together; 行政 is the day-to-day administration carried out under it.

Remember it 統 (unify) + 治 (rule) → holding together and ruling.

分野ぶんやで最高さいこうの権威けんいを持もつ学者がくしゃに意見いけんを求もとめた。

We sought the opinion of the foremost authority in the field.

Usage Two senses in one word: 権威ある機関 for institutional authority, and 第一人者としての権威 for expert standing. 権威主義 is authoritarianism; 権威を失う is to lose your standing.

Remember it 権 (power) + 威 (majesty, awe) → power that also commands awe.

この国くには経済的けいざいてきに大国たいこくに従属じゅうぞくしている。

This country is economically subordinate to a major power.

Usage 従属する, 従属関係, 従属国. Negative — it implies a loss of autonomy. 依存 is dependence in general, including the healthy kind; 従属 puts one party under another.

Remember it 従 (follow) + 属 (belong to) → following, and belonging to, whoever leads.

立法りっぽう・行政ぎょうせい・司法しほうの三権分立さんけんぶんりつが民主主義みんしゅしゅぎの基本きほんだ。

The separation of legislature, executive and judiciary is fundamental to democracy.

Usage 立法府 is the legislature, 立法権 the power to make law. Learn it as one of the trio 立法・行政・司法 — the three branches in 三権分立.

Remember it 立 (set up) + 法 (law) → setting the law up in the first place.

行政ぎょうせいの効率化こうりつかが急務きゅうむとされている。

Making the administration more efficient is treated as an urgent task.

Usage 行政府, 行政改革, 行政手続き, 地方行政. The executive branch and the machinery of public administration; one of 立法・行政・司法.

Remember it 行 (carry out) + 政 (government) → carrying out the business of government.

司法しほうは独立どくりつして公正こうせいに機能きのうしなければならない。

The judiciary must function independently and impartially.

Usage 司法府, 司法権, 司法取引 for a plea bargain, 司法試験 for the bar exam. The third of 立法・行政・司法.

Remember it 司 (take charge of) + 法 (law) → the branch that has charge of the law.

資本主義しほんしゅぎは市場しじょうの競争きょうそうを通つうじて経済けいざいを発展はってんさせる。

Capitalism develops an economy through competition in the market.

Usage 資本主義経済, 資本家 for a capitalist, 資本 alone for capital. Paired in discussion with 社会主義, and the adjective is 資本主義的.

Remember it 資本 (capital) + 主義 (‑ism) → the system built around capital.

社会主義しゃかいしゅぎでは国家こっかが生産手段せいさんしゅだんを管理かんりする。

Under socialism the state controls the means of production.

Usage 社会主義国家, 民主社会主義. Distinguish 共産主義, communism, which in political writing marks the further stage. The counterpart term is 資本主義.

Remember it 社会 (society) + 主義 (‑ism) → the system built around society rather than the individual owner.

市場経済しじょうけいざいでは価格かかくは需要じゅようと供給きょうきゅうによって決きまる。

In a market economy, prices are set by supply and demand.

Usage 市場経済体制, and its opposite 計画経済, the planned economy. Note the reading: 市場 is しじょう in economics, but いちば when it means an actual marketplace.

Remember it 市場 (market) + 経済 (economy) → an economy steered by the market.

保護主義ほごしゅぎの台頭たいとうが自由貿易じゆうぼうえきを脅おびやかしている。

The rise of protectionism is threatening free trade.

Usage 保護主義的な政策, 保護貿易. Set against 自由貿易, and usually critical in tone — 保護 alone is simply protection, with no such edge.

Remember it 保護 (protect) + 主義 (‑ism) → the doctrine of shielding your own.

自由貿易じゆうぼうえき協定きょうていが両国間りょうこくかんの経済けいざいを活性化かっせいかさせた。

A free trade agreement invigorated the economies of both countries.

Usage 自由貿易協定 is an FTA; 自由貿易地域 a free trade zone. 貿易 by itself is international trade — 貿易赤字, 貿易摩擦. The opposing doctrine is 保護主義.

Remember it 自由 (free) + 貿易 (trade) → trade let across borders freely.

輸入ゆにゅう品ひんに高たかい関税かんぜいをかけることで国内こくない産業さんぎょうを守まもる。

High tariffs on imports are used to protect domestic industry.

Usage 関税をかける, 関税障壁, 関税撤廃. Note 関, the same character as in 関所, the old barrier station — a tariff is what you pay at the gate.

Remember it 関 (barrier gate) + 税 (tax) → the tax collected at the gate.

国くにの財政ざいせいが悪化あっかし、予算よさんの削減さくげんが必要ひつようになった。

The nation's finances worsened and the budget had to be cut.

Usage 財政赤字, 財政政策, 財政再建. Public finance specifically — a household's or a firm's money is 家計 and 経理. 財政難 means being strapped for funds.

Remember it 財 (wealth) + 政 (government) → the government's handling of wealth.

今年度こんねんどの国家予算こっかよさんは大幅おおはばな赤字あかじとなった。

This year's national budget ran a large deficit.

Usage 赤字になる, 赤字続き, 貿易赤字, 赤字国債. The opposite is 黒字. Also used loosely of personal finances: 今月は赤字だ.

Remember it 赤 (red) + 字 (figure) → figures written in red, the ink bookkeepers used for a shortfall.

黒字くろじを維持いじすることが企業きぎょうの健全けんぜんな経営けいえいの証あかしだ。

Staying in the black is proof that a company is soundly run.

Usage 黒字になる, 黒字転換 for turning a profit, 貿易黒字. The counterpart of 赤字, and the two are usually taught as a pair.

Remember it 黒 (black) + 字 (figure) → figures in black ink, the colour for money in hand.

物価ぶっかの上昇じょうしょうが続つづき、インフレが深刻しんこくな問題もんだいとなっている。

Prices keep climbing, and inflation has become a serious problem.

Usage Short for インフレーション. インフレ率, インフレ対策, インフレが進む. Paired with デフレ, and note ハイパーインフレ and スタグフレーション for the extremes.

Remember it インフレ clips the English inflation — prices inflating like a balloon.

物価ぶっかが下落げらくし、デフレが長期ちょうき化かする恐おそれがある。

Prices are falling and deflation looks likely to drag on.

Usage Short for デフレーション. デフレスパイラル for the downward spiral, デフレ脱却 for escaping it — a phrase that dominated Japanese economic debate for two decades.

Remember it デフレ clips the English deflation — the balloon letting its air out.

所得しょとく格差かくさの拡大かくだいが社会問題しゃかいもんだいとなっている。

The widening income gap has become a social problem.

Usage 所得格差, 教育格差, 地域格差, and 格差社会 for a society defined by them. 格差を縮める is to narrow a gap. Note it is always a gap between groups, never a simple numerical difference — that is 差.

Remember it 格 (rank, grade) + 差 (difference) → the distance between ranks.

富裕ふゆう層そうへの課税かぜいを強化きょうかすることで格差かくさを縮ちぢめる。

Taxing the wealthy more heavily narrows the gap.

Usage Nearly always in 富裕層, the wealthy as a bracket, or 富裕国. The opposite is 貧困. 裕福 reverses the characters and describes a household as well off.

Remember it 富 (wealth) + 裕 (ample, roomy) → wealth with room to spare.

社会保障しゃかいほしょう制度せいどが国民こくみんの生活せいかつを支ささえている。

The social security system supports people's lives.

Usage 社会保障 and 安全保障 are the two big compounds. Keep it apart from its homophones: 保証 is a guarantee or warranty on a product, 補償 is compensation for a loss. 保障 secures a condition against risk.

Remember it 保 (protect) + 障 (shield, obstruct) → holding a shield up against what might come.

納税のうぜいは国民こくみんの義務ぎむであると同時どうじに権利けんりでもある。

Paying tax is a citizen's duty and, at the same time, a right.

Usage 納税する, 納税者, 納税申告. The formal register — 税金を払う is what you say in conversation. 納 also gives 納品 for delivering goods and 納得 for being satisfied.

Remember it 納 (deliver in) + 税 (tax) → delivering your tax in to the state.

脱税だつぜいは犯罪はんざいであり、厳きびしく罰ばっせられる。

Tax evasion is a crime and is punished severely.

Usage 脱税する, 脱税容疑. Distinguish 節税, which is arranging your affairs to pay less tax legally; 脱税 is the criminal version. 脱 recurs in 脱出, 脱線, 離脱.

Remember it 脱 (escape, slip out of) + 税 (tax) → slipping out of the tax you owe.

賄賂わいろを渡わたすことは違法いほうであり、双方そうほうが処罰しょばつされる。

Offering a bribe is illegal, and both parties are punished.

Usage 賄賂を贈る / 受け取る, 賄賂罪. Narrower than 汚職, which covers corruption in general; a 賄賂 is the money or gift itself. Both characters carry the 貝 radical, the old shell currency.

Remember it 賄 (bribe, provide for) + 賂 (a gift given to buy favour) → two characters for the same payment under the table.

政治せいじ家かのスキャンダルがメディアで大おおきく報ほうじられた。

The politician's scandal was reported heavily in the media.

Usage スキャンダルが発覚する for one coming to light, スキャンダルに巻き込まれる for being caught up in one. Mostly politics and entertainment; the native equivalent is 不祥事, which sounds more institutional.

Remember it スキャンダル transliterates the English scandal.