LOCAL AUTONOMY AND POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AND SOUTH KOREA

Abstract

The research performs an analysis of local governance autonomy during reconstruction by examining governance and economic recovery plans across United States, Japan and South Korea. This research demonstrates that post-conflict recovery success requires decentralized decision-making processes instead of conventional centralized governance with foreign aid assistance. The study analyzes how each country used local institutions through historical studies and policy evaluations to overcome recovery by using federalism programs in the U.S. while Japan brought forward local autonomy laws in 1947 and South Korea made gradual changes from centralized to decentralized governance. Research evidence shows that local government control drove positive outcomes in infrastructure advancement together with industrial expansion and enhanced local service quality through their ability to address community requirements. Post-war recovery benefits when local governance systems operate effectively since it produces resilient outcomes and sustainable results. The research findings present fundamental policy lessons for current post-conflict environments because they demonstrate that decentralization should operate as a fundamental method to create inclusive adaptable reconstruction activities.