General Douglas MacArthur: Supreme Public Administrator of Post–World War II Japan

• Author: William M. Leavitt
• Date: 01 March 2015
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12326
• Published date: 01 March 2015

Administrative

Prof‌i le

William M. Leavitt is associate

professor in the Department of Urban

Studies and Public Administration at Old

Dominion University. His teaching and

research interests are in the areas of

customer service and service delivery, public

sector pay, human resource management,

organizational design, social marketing, and

business process reengineering.

E-mail: wleavitt@odu.edu

General Douglas MacArthur: Supreme Public Administrator of Post–World War II Japan 315

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 75, Iss. 2, pp. 315–324. © 2015 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.12326.

W. Henry Lambright, Editor

William M. Leavitt

Old Dominion University

Abstract:  is article examines General Douglas MacArthur’s six years as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers

in post–World War II Japan. MacArthur was appointed by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to preside over and

administer the reconstruction of postwar Japan. No American serving in the role of a public administrator has ever

had a more dif‌f‌i cult task than the one MacArthur took on in Japan. At the end of World War II, Japan was devas-

tated, and the entire population faced starvation. MacArthur’s administrative style and his successes and failures in

Japan are examined in this Administrative Prof‌i le. Fifty years after his death, the inf‌l uence of MacArthur’s policies

during his tenure as Supreme Commander are still felt in Japan.

the Allied Powers, but in ef‌f ect, he was the supreme

public administrator of Japan for six years follow-

ing the end of the war. As MacArthur recalled in his

memoirs, “ e pattern of government was unique in

modern annals. I, as a professional soldier, had the

civil responsibility and absolute control over almost

80 million people, and I would maintain that control

until Japan had once more demonstrated that it was

ready, willing, and able to become a responsible mem-

ber of the family of free nations” (1964, 280–81).

Winning a war is one thing; it is clear when the mis-

sion is accomplished. Winning the peace is an entirely

dif‌f erent matter—it is, as Rittel and Weber (1973)

def‌i ned it, a “wicked problem.” It is not clear how to

def‌i ne winning the peace, and it is dif‌f‌i cult to know

when the task is accomplished.

Japan of‌f‌i cially surrendered on September 2, 1945,

which brought an end to World War II. At the end

of the war, Japan was in very bad shape. Sixty-six

major cities had been heavily bombed during the war,

including the f‌i rebombing of Tokyo and the destruc-

tion of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs.

Every major city was described as a “wilderness of

rubble.” Between two million

and three million people had

lost their lives, and that number

included around 600,000 civil-

ians who were killed in the air

raids, the f‌i ghting on Okinawa,

and the atomic bombings.

 ere was little phone or train

service, and virtually no power

plants were in operation. Cities

General Douglas MacArthur: Supreme Public Administrator

of Post–World War II Japan

Could I have but a line a century hence credit-

ing a contribution to the advance of peace,

I would yield every honor which has been

accorded by war.

—General Douglas MacArthur

The year 2014 marked the f‌i ftieth anniversary

of the death of General Douglas MacArthur.

He was granted more authority and discre-

tion serving in the role of a public administrator

than the nation has ever seen or is likely to see again.

MacArthur’s role as Supreme Commander for the

Allied Powers (SCAP) in Japan at the end of World

War II was not only an administrative one but one

that also involved political, policy, and leadership

responsibilities.  is prof‌i le is not intended as a com-

plete recounting of MacArthur’s six years as Supreme

Commander; historians have written volumes about

MacArthur and postwar Japan. Rather, it is intended

to highlight MacArthur’s style and administrative

accomplishments in Japan during his tenure.

Japan in the twenty-f‌i rst century is a prosperous,

democratic country with the

world’s third-largest economy.

 e path to Japan’s success

as a democratic nation and

economic powerhouse began

with the occupation of Japan

in 1945 at the end of World

War II. General Douglas

MacArthur’s of‌f‌i cial title was

Supreme Commander for

General Douglas MacArthur’s

of‌f‌i cial title was Supreme

Commander for the Allied

Powers, but in ef‌f ect, he was the

supreme public administrator of

Japan for six years following the

end of the war.