民主黨執政初期強調「政治主導」原則，刻意排除執政黨與官僚的政策影響力，以集中決策權於內閣與省廳、大臣。然而在缺乏明確黨內權力運作結構、黨與內閣互動模式、以及與官僚體系的權責分工，反倒使得2010年〈防衛計畫大綱〉的制定過程產生更多政治參與，防衛官僚的專業政策意見也意外有更大影響力。此外民主黨首次執政，對防衛政策沒有既定意識型態與政策意見，在沒有內閣與執政黨高度介入下，新安保懇與防衛官僚較能根據日本現實安全環境變化討論應有的防衛政策因應。最後出現戰後日本防衛政策最大戰略思維轉折的國防文件。

The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) intentionally emphasized ＂political leadership＂ in office in order to concentrate policymaking power in cabinet ministers as opposed to the ruling party and the bureaucracy. However, the absence of a clear power structure within the party, as well as between the party, cabinet, and bureaucracy meant that while DPJ widely participated in the making of the National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG), defense bureaucrats ultimately exercised much greater influence. In addition, the DPJ's lack of a firm ideology and policy preferences on defense issues left the space for more realistic discussions based on Japan's security environment between the New Advisory Panel on National Security and Defense Capabilities (shin anbokon) and the defense bureaucrats, which resulted in the most significant shift in Japan's national defense strategy since the end of the Second World War.