Cross-cutting issues and the consolidation of democracy in Taiwan

Department

History & Political Science

Document Type

Article

Publication Source

Democratization

Publication Date

1998-01-01

Volume

5

Issue

4

First Page

118

Last Page

143

Abstract

This article examines the cause of Taiwan's recent successful democratic consolidation. It argues that cross-cutting issues in the electoral process allow democratic systems to periodically generate new winners. The prospect of reasonable certainty to win gives different political groups, including previously anti-system or semi-loyal groups, incentives to adhere to the democratic rules of the game. This process contributed to the democratic consolidation in Taiwan. More specifically, the non-mainstream faction of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party, which initially opposed democratization, and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which wanted more radical constitutional and political reforms, came to accept the post-transition democratic regime due to the emergence of new electoral issues. New issues surrounding corruption and socio-economic reforms allowed both the non-mainstream faction of the KMT and the DPP to advance their interests through the democratic electoral process.

DOI

10.1080/13510349808403587

https://doi.org/10.1080/13510349808403587

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