Future Prospects for the Consolidation of Democracy in Taiwan

Since transition to democraey began to pick up speed in the 1980s, Taiwan has seen rapid political development, including the establishment of new political parties, the lifting of martial law, complete reelection of the parliament, and constitutional reform. During this process of political reform, Taiwan’s economy has continued to grow and its society has remained stable. Observers anticipate a “political miracle” following on from Taiwan’s economic miracle. Holding a less optimistic view, the author argues that the democratization process is not complete and that many factors threaten democratic consolidation. These include public dissatisfaction concerning social and economic justice and the distribution of wealth, a lack of consensus among the political elite on the issue of constitutional reform, different concepts of national identity, and the hostility of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Among these, national identity and the PRC factor present the biggest threats to further democratization. How Taiwan’s political elite handle these issues will have a direct effect on the outcome of democratization.