Democratic consolidation in Taiwan in comparative perspective

Abstract

Taiwan has been one of the most successful East Asian countries in transitioning from authoritarian rule to liberal democracy. Using a wide range of survey data, this paper examines the process of democratic consolidation in Taiwan from 1996 to 2012, and benchmarks the country’s progress with other East Asian democracies, third wave democracies, and established democracies. The results show that positive regime evaluations have been generally stable since the mid-1990s, although efficacy is slightly lower than is found elsewhere. Party attachments among the mass public have increased incrementally, against the international trends. The level of polarization within the party system has remained consistently low by international standards. Overall, the results confirm that the process of democratic consolidation in Taiwan is close to completion.