When a government uses an election to secure control of both the executive and legislative branches of government and then uses this majority to implement policies that run counter to public opinion, while the system lacks the tools to counterbalance these actions, then there is something wrong with this democracy.
Historically, this is not the first time the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has controlled both the administrative and legislative branches, but rarely has it pushed through policies arbitrarily and displayed an unwillingness to conduct democratic negotiations and social consultations between elections. Be it former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) toward the end of the authoritarian era, or former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) during the nation’s democratic transition, there were frequent public consultations on policy issues even during non-election years. There were also social movements taking place outside the system and various national conferences that included both government and opposition forces. These are all examples of a golden age of deliberative democracy.
After winning the first direct presidential election, Lee was viewed as a champion of democracy rather than a “democratic dictator,” and he enjoyed strong public support and represented unity across the broader society. In those days, public opinion decided who got voted in and it also directed the policy direction.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), on the other hand, has become a “democratic dictator” suffering from low approval ratings and facing strong resistance from a broad spectrum of society. Ma must rely on his party’s legislative majority to force through his policies and this makes one wonder about the shortcomings of Taiwan’s democratic system.
When the presidential and legislative elections were combined, the number of elections decreased and one national election alone decided the allocation of both the executive and legislative powers. While midterm local government elections allow voters to “punish” politicians they are unhappy with, they have nothing to do with the allocation of the central government’s powers and cannot serve as a mechanism that can counterbalance and amend policy implementation. The result is a non-democratic outcome in which public opinion has no influence on government policy whatsoever.
Taiwan is now left with a re-elected president who is intent on pursuing his personal ambitions and interests and who does not have to worry about running for re-election. Public opinion, supposedly part of the democratic system, in effect only counts on election day. The public has been reduced to becoming a reason for justifying the use of resources and a target of media manipulation, instead of a nation reflecting the fundamental values and goals of a democratic system.
This is why we hear the Ma administration refer to pressure from major powers, when trying to justify its policies. For example, the government either talks about how the US would retaliate by decreasing trade with Taiwan if the latter does now allow imports of US beef containing ractopamine residue, or how cross-strait tensions would increase if the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) did not pass. The Ma administration leads by suppressing public opinion by instilling fear of external pressures, rather than listening to public opinion.
This is the source of “democratic dictatorship.” Democracy has degenerated into a means to obtain power and the “dictatorship” is expressed in the rush the government gets from its arbitrary use of power.
This is what has become of Taiwan’s democracy. A lot of work is needed to put things back on track.
Hsu Yung-ming is an associate professor of political science at Soochow University.
Translated by Drew Cameron
I came to Taiwan to pursue my degree thinking that Taiwanese are “friendly,” but I was welcomed by Taiwanese classmates laughing at my friend’s name, Maria (瑪莉亞). At the time, I could not understand why they were mocking the name of Jesus’ mother. Later, I learned that “Maria” had become a stereotype — a shorthand for Filipino migrant workers. That was because many Filipino women in Taiwan, especially those who became house helpers, happen to have that name. With the rapidly increasing number of foreigners coming to Taiwan to work or study, more Taiwanese are interacting, socializing and forming relationships with
Whether in terms of market commonality or resource similarity, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co is the biggest competitor of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). The two companies have agreed to set up factories in the US and are also recipients of subsidies from the US CHIPS and Science Act, which was signed into law by former US president Joe Biden. However, changes in the market competitiveness of the two companies clearly reveal the context behind TSMC’s investments in the US. As US semiconductor giant Intel Corp has faced continuous delays developing its advanced processes, the world’s two major wafer foundries, TSMC and
The recent termination of Tibetan-language broadcasts by Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a significant setback for Tibetans both in Tibet and across the global diaspora. The broadcasts have long served as a vital lifeline, providing uncensored news, cultural preservation and a sense of connection for a community often isolated by geopolitical realities. For Tibetans living under Chinese rule, access to independent information is severely restricted. The Chinese government tightly controls media and censors content that challenges its narrative. VOA and RFA broadcasts have been among the few sources of uncensored news available to Tibetans, offering insights
We are witnessing a sea change in the government’s approach to China, from one of reasonable, low-key reluctance at rocking the boat to a collapse of pretense over and patience in Beijing’s willful intransigence. Finally, we are seeing a more common sense approach in the face of active shows of hostility from a foreign power. According to Article 2 of the 2020 Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), a “foreign hostile force” is defined as “countries, political entities or groups that are at war with or are engaged in a military standoff with the Republic of China [ROC]. The same stipulation applies to
RSS