設問 At present, non-Japanese citizens who are permanent residents of Japan do not have the right to vote in national elections. In your opinion, is this policy appropriate? Write a paragraph giving one or more convincing reasons to support your position.
英作文演習:永住外国人の国政選挙権について
設問 At present, non-Japanese citizens who are permanent residents of Japan do not have the right to vote in national elections. In your opinion, is this policy appropriate? Write a paragraph giving one or more convincing reasons to support your position.
解答例1(賛成の立場:現行制度は適切である)
In my opinion, the current policy of not granting non-Japanese permanent residents the right to vote in national elections is appropriate. First and foremost, national elections determine who governs the country as a whole, including matters of national security, diplomacy, and constitutional change. These are areas in which only citizens, who bear full legal responsibility to the state, should have a direct say. If permanent residents who retain foreign nationality were allowed to vote, it could create a conflict of interest between their loyalty to Japan and to their home country. Furthermore, permanent residents already have a clear path to gaining voting rights: they can apply for Japanese citizenship. Since the right to vote is closely tied to the duties of citizenship, such as taxation and national defense obligations, it seems reasonable that this right should be reserved for those who have formally committed themselves to the nation through naturalization.
語数目安:約150語
解答例2(反対の立場:現行制度は見直すべきである)
I do not believe this policy is appropriate, mainly because permanent residents are deeply integrated members of Japanese society who are directly affected by national policies. They pay taxes, run businesses, raise children in Japanese schools, and contribute to the local economy just as citizens do. Excluding them from national elections means that decisions on tax policy, social security, and immigration law are made without any input from a group that bears their consequences just as heavily as citizens. In addition, many permanent residents have lived in Japan for decades and have no realistic connection to their country of origin, yet naturalization can be a lengthy and demanding process. Several democratic countries already grant certain voting rights to long-term residents without requiring full citizenship. Japan could follow this example, at least for national elections that directly shape residents’ daily lives, without compromising national sovereignty.
語数目安:約150語
覚えるべき表現(暗記リスト)
| 表現 | 意味・使い方 |
|---|---|
| permanent resident(s) | 永住者 |
| national election(s) | 国政選挙 |
| naturalization / naturalize | 帰化(する) |
| conflict of interest | 利益相反 |
| bear responsibility / bear the consequences | 責任・結果を負う |
| be integrated into society | 社会に統合・同化している |
| contribute to the (local) economy | (地域)経済に貢献する |
| social security | 社会保障 |
| national sovereignty | 国家主権 |
| retain (foreign) nationality | (外国の)国籍を保持する |
| a clear path to X | Xへの明確な道筋 |
| long-term resident(s) | 長期滞在者 |
| grant A the right to B | AにBの権利を与える |
| be reserved for X | Xのために取っておかれている |
| have no realistic connection to X | Xと現実的なつながりがない |
| shape one’s daily life | 日常生活を形作る |
| compromise X(名詞) | Xを危うくする、損なう |
ポイント: 賛成・反対どちらの立場でも使い回せる語彙(permanent resident, national election, naturalization, contribute to society など)を先に固め、そのうえで自分の立場を支える論拠語彙(conflict of interest / national sovereignty vs. integrated / contribute / long-term resident)を追加すると、どちらの立場の英作文にも対応できる。
品詞確認リスト
上の「覚えるべき表現」に出てきた語を中心に、品詞を確認する。派生語もあわせて覚えると語彙が一気に広がる。
| 単語 | 品詞 | 派生語(品詞) |
|---|---|---|
| permanent | 形容詞 | permanence(名) / permanently(副) |
| resident | 名詞 | reside(動) / residence(名) / residential(形) |
| national | 形容詞 | nation(名) / nationality(名) / nationally(副) |
| naturalize | 動詞 | naturalization(名) |
| conflict | 名詞・動詞 | conflicting(形) |
| interest | 名詞・動詞 | interested / interesting(形) |
| bear | 動詞 | bearable(形) |
| consequence | 名詞 | consequent(形) / consequently(副) |
| integrate | 動詞 | integration(名) / integrated(形) |
| contribute | 動詞 | contribution(名) / contributor(名) |
| economy | 名詞 | economic(形) / economical(形) / economically(副) |
| security | 名詞 | secure(形・動) / securely(副) |
| sovereignty | 名詞 | sovereign(形・名) |
| retain | 動詞 | retention(名) |
| grant | 動詞・名詞 | (そのまま両品詞で使用可) |
| reserve | 動詞 | reserved(形) / reservation(名) |
| realistic | 形容詞 | reality(名) / realistically(副) / realize(動) |
| shape | 動詞・名詞 | (そのまま両品詞で使用可) |
| compromise | 動詞・名詞 | compromising(形) |
確認のコツ:
- economic(経済の)と economical(節約的な)、national(国家の)と nationalistic(国家主義的な)のように、似た形で意味が異なる派生語に注意する。
- naturalize → naturalization のように「動詞+-ation」で名詞化するパターンは英検ライティングで頻出。
- interest / grant / reserve / shape / compromise のように名詞・動詞兼用の単語は、文中でどちらの品詞として使われているかを見極める練習をすると読解にも役立つ。
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