Author Description

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.