Taiwan's democratization

The political landscape of Taiwan has changed so dramatically in the past decade that full democracy, once a distant prospect for the one-party, authoritarian state, now appears probable. Here, Dr Jaushieh Joseph Wu provides the first systematic investigation of the forces the first systematic investigation of the forces behind the transition and the factors that continue to shape the pace and direction of democracy in Taiwan. Dr Wu's own empirical research and application of political theory to the island's novel and unfolding case advance our understanding of the evolutionary stages of democracy in relation to socioeconomic development. President Chiang Ching-kuo set political reform in motion in 1986 with his political liberalization programme, which ended the rule of martial law. This move and the decision to allow voice and legitimacy to the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, which now wields significant power in the legislature, have led to the partial and peaceable dismantling of the Kuomintang monopoly that defined Taiwan's government and politics for more than 40 years. This book examines the socioeconomic roots of the new polity, reviews the consolidation and institutionalization of democracy through the electoral process, and explains the important trends in party systems and politics. The most unique contribution of this study is Dr Wu's investigation of the role of the political elites. The key to whether and when the people of Taiwan will be able directly to elect their own president lies in the attitudes of Taiwan's political leaders toward the course of electoral reform and other central political issues. The author's interviews with more than 20 of Taiwan's political leaders and decision-makers (including President Lee Teng-hui) inform his assessment of political development and prospects for democracy in Taiwan.