An examination of the evolution of the democratic two-party system in Taiwan. This work explores the growth of Taiwan's competitive party system in the context of social attitudes, issue-based politics and local factions.

Taiwan's democratic transformation is gaining recognition by theorists and specialists as one of the world's most significant political development. Competitive election, competitive party system, and a functioning national legislature are crucial aspects of democratic development. This volume studies two major elections in Taiwan's post-authoritarian period since 1988, one on parliamentary election and the other elections of major and county executives. Analyses are deliberately broadened to include the most salient aspects of Taiwan politics that are related to elections, such as political parties, factions, business and politics, political culture, parliamentary politics, electoral system and voting behaviors. They provide a broad foundation for understanding Taiwan's political change and its future dynamic. The evolution of democratic politics in Taiwan, marked by the rise of a two-party system and genuine electoral competition, provides a unique case study of a successful progression from a politically authoritarian state to one with relative political freedom. The contributors to this book analyze the growth of Taiwan's competitive party system in the context of social attitudes, issue-based politics, and local factions. Highlights include: --Hung-mao Tien's examination of the changing dynamic between the Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP); --Yun-han Chu's empirical study of coalition politics; --Bruce Dickson's discussion of party adaptation to changes in the social and political climate, and its ramification for the People's Republic of China; --T.J. Cheng's analysis of DPP factionalism and party realignment; --William L. Parish's survey research on Taiwan's political values.

The March 2000 presidential election was an important milestone in the democratic development of Taiwan, with the Kuomintang turned out of power after five decades of control and replaced by the Democratic Progressive Party. This book address the variety of effects that Taiwan's democratic development and the election will have on domestic policy in the region. Part one looks at trends and changes in Taiwan's politics and analyzes the outcome of the March 2000 election. The chapters in part two discuss the international implications of Taiwan's democratic evolution for a variety of issues, including political, economic and security relations on both sides of the Taiwan strait; Japan's foreign policy in the region; U.S. foreign policy in the region; and peace and security in Southeast Asia. The challenges and prospects for continued democratic consolidation and the implications and lessons for the PRC and Southeast Asia are also explored.

Using a comparative approach, this book examines how political communication and the mass media have played an important role in the consolidation of democratic institutions.

The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Taiwan offers a comprehensive overview of both contemporary Taiwan and the Taiwan studies field. Each contribution summarises the major findings in the field and highlights long-term trends, recent observations and possible future developments in Taiwan. Written by an international team of experts, the chapters included in the volume form an accessible and fascinating insight into contemporary Taiwan. Up-to-date, interdisciplinary, and academically rigorous, the Handbook will be of interest to students, academics, policymakers and others in search of reliable information on Taiwanese politics, economics, culture and society.

This book shows that Taiwan, unlike other countries, avoided serious economic disruption and social conflict, and arrived at its goal of multi-party competition with little blood shed. Nonetheless, this survey reveals that for those who imagine democracy to be the panacea for every social, economic and political ill, Taiwan's continuing struggles against corruption, isolation and division offer a cautionary lesson. This book is an ideal, one-stop resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of political science, particuarly those interested in the international politics of China, and the Asia-Pacific.

In 1991 Taiwan held its first fully democratic election. This first single volume of party politics in Taiwan analyzes the evolution of party competition in the country, looking at how Taiwan’s parties have adjusted to their new multi-party election environment. It features key chapters on: the development of party politics in Taiwan the impact of party change on social welfare, corruption and national identity party politics in the DPP era. Including interviews with high-ranking Taiwanese politicians and material on the 2004 Presidential election, this important work brings the literature up-to-date. It provides a valuable resource for scholars of Chinese and Taiwanese politics and a welcome addition to the field of regime transition and democratization.