「縦割り行政」を超えて─「省際」的教育政策形成の事例研究 : (1)幼保一元化

近年,行政需要の多様化・複雑化,行政の総合化の動きなどにより必要性が増してきている省庁横断型政策形成について,本稿では幼保(幼稚園・保育所)一元化政策を取り上げ,両制度を所管する文部科学省と厚生労働省,そして改革を求める内閣府との間でどのような横断的動きがあり,あるいは省庁の連携,相違点の調整,協力が行われたか,また行われなかったかの検討を行う.まず,幼稚園制度と保育所制度の変遷を概観しか後,幼保一元化の流れに中央省庁が対応してきたかを検討した.特に文部科学省と厚生労働省の両省が,小泉首相のリーダーシップの下での内閣府の総合規制改革会議,地方分権改革推進会議をはじめとする改革グループがかける,完全な形での幼保一元化への非常に強力な圧力にどう対応し,両制度堅持という両省の共通した利益確保のためにどのようなプロセスがあったかを考察した.This is a case study on inter-ministry policymaking which has been increasingly needed under the contexts of diversified and more complex policy needs and the move for more comprehensive governance. This article selected the integration policy of kindergarten system and nursery school system as a case in point. While the former system is under Ministry of Education, and the latter is under Ministry of Welfare and Labor in Japan, the Chief Cabinet Office under the powerful leadership of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has been demanding the integration of two systems through strongly reform-minded councils. This article first gives a historical overview of the two systems and the integration policy. Then it explores what interministry coordination was made, how ministerial interests were pursued and maintained, what compromises were made, by mainly examining meeting minutes and newspaper articles