Taiwan

The GSoD Indices from 2020 classify Taiwan as a mid-performing democracy, with particularly high levels of Representative Government (0.87) compared to the world (0.55) average. In particular, Taiwan scores high marks in holding clean elections and protecting civil liberties. The island also boasts one of Asia’s most vibrant civil societies. However, in the last five years, there have been moderate declines in several attributes, including Social Group Equality.

National identity has surfaced as a salient issue since Taiwan’s democratic transition. Ethnic cleavages between native Taiwanese and those who retreated from the mainland during the 1940s have manifested into the current factions of the pro-unification Kuomintang (KMT) party and the ruling pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The continuing polarization between the two parties has made the independence and unification issue more prominent and has had decisive impacts on the political attitudes and behavior of Taiwan voters. This partisan identification is also reflected in voters’ positions on economic cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan as exemplified by the youth-led Sunflower Movement in 2014 opposing a proposed free trade agreement with China. While the majority of Taiwan’s population are Han Chinese, Taiwan also has a sizeable indigenous minority of Austronesian descent that make up around 2 % of its population.  While not actively excluded from politics, they are still economically and socially marginalized in modern-day Taiwan and continue to fight for land rights and cultural recognition. Indigenous people have six reserved seats set aside for them in parliament yet are considered pigeonholed in that they cannot run outside the reserved seat system. Taiwan’s indigenous people have traditionally been considered an “iron vote” for the KMT party due to KMT’s longstanding political and socio-economic ties with the communities, although this has been shifting in recent years.

Over the next few years, Taiwan’s democracy will continue to face increasing political, economic, and military pressures from China. Concerning developments to watch include Chinese efforts to influence and undermine Taiwan’s policymaking, media and democratic institutions through, for example, disinformation campaigns and exerted pressure on Taiwanese media owners, leaving media outlets vulnerable to censorship. Relatedly, Taiwan will need to carefully navigate cross-strait relations in the lead up to the 2024 presidential elections. Lastly, despite positive steps taken toward tightening the enforcement of anti-corruption laws, corruption remains a problem in Taiwan. Taiwan’s judicial independence will continue to play a key role in battling corruption – alongside public and civil society’s increased oversight of government officials and lawmakers. More transparent laws aimed at regulating the connection between business and politicians will also serve as an important tool for anti-corruption reform.