The 12 years of Lee Teng-hui's presidency were marked by a series of contrary trends such as progress in the consolidation of Taiwan's democracy, and periodic conflicts with China. This book assesses the complex legacy of Lee Teng-hui by looking at his accomplishments and setbacks.
Annotation The twelve year's of Lee Teng-hui's presidency were marked by a series of contrary trends: tremendous progress in the consolidation of Taiwain's democracy; deterioration of the Kuomintang's popularity and the spread of black and gold politics (the influence of organized crime and corruption in the political system); a growing role for Taiwan in international affairs; and periodic and often intense conflicts with China. In this book some of the most influential scholars of Taiwan's domestic politics and international relations assess Lee Teng-hui's presidency and his legacy for Taiwan's current leaders and the political system as a whole.
The twelve year's of Lee Teng-hui's presidency were marked by a series of contrary trends: tremendous progress in the consolidation of Taiwain's democracy; deterioration of the Kuomintang's popularity and the spread of black and gold politics (the influence of organized crime and corruption in the political system); a growing role for Taiwan in international affairs; and periodic and often intense conflicts with China. In this book some of the most influential scholars of Taiwan's domestic politics and international relations assess Lee Teng-hui's presidency and his legacy for Taiwan's current leaders and the political system as a whole.
The book is an account of Taiwan's evolving national consciousness told through the biography of its former President Lee Teng-hui - the central figure in the island's political transformation over the past two decades. In describing the broader historical and social context of the various stages of Lee's life, the book also analyzes Taiwan's own evolution during the past century as a Japanese colony, a Leninist party-state dictatorship, and then an American-inspired fledgling democracy. The book explores such questions as: Is Lee Teng-hui an opportunistic recidivist who is interested only in his own self-preservation, or is he a hero who not only propelled Taiwan into a new era, but also constructed a new national identity for the islanders? Are the multi-ethnic islanders culturally 'Chinese' or are they 'Taiwanese'? Is Taiwan historically and politically part of 'China' or does it have its own history and identity, and deserves international recognition as an independent sovereign country?
This book profiles Taiwan’s six key presidents—Chiang Kai-shek, Chiang Ching-kuo, Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian, Ma Ying-jeou, and Tsai Ing-wen—focusing on politics, economics, elections, successes and failures in office, popularity, and democratization. By analyzing criteria of the six presidents’ leadership, such as management of crises, advancing democracy, stewardship of the economy, charisma, corruption, and handling of foreign relations, especially with China and the U.S., John F. Copper goes on to rank the presidents and predicts trends and difficulties that future presidents will face. Special attention is paid to relations with the U.S., acknowledging the U.S. as Taiwan’s political and economic model as well as its being Taiwan’s protector in the context of China’s claim to Taiwan. As an assessment of these six political leaders as well as a study of Taiwan’s political system, this book will appeal to students and scholars of Taiwan, political science, and international relations.
A well-known observer of Taiwan and Asian history and culture provides an insightful biography of Lee Teng Hui, the pro-democracy statesman and former president of the Republic of China. As head of the Taiwanese government from 1988 to 2000, Lee managed, without violence or major civil unrest, to reform the authoritarian state into a constitutional democracy with a multi-party political system. This examination of Lee's success puts to rest the idea that Asian values support only authoritarian regimes and reject human rights and political democracy in favor of economic success and military power. Richard C. Kagan describes in rich detail Lee's struggle to reinvent Taiwan's culture and political system by advocating an independent sovereign nation with universal values of human rights, democracy, freedom, and economic justice. His book offers new insights into the role Lee played in the still volatile Taiwan Strait crisis and how Lee's diplomatic skills used the crisis to break free of the "One China" straitjacket of the Shanghai Communiqué of 1972 while avoiding open warfare with the People's Republic of China. The author argues that Taiwan is a vital part of America's national security interests in Asia and that the loss of Taiwan to Mainland China would seriously damage American economic and military power in Asia. He calls Lee's life a beacon for people looking for new ways to promote democracy and sovereignty and intends this biography of Lee's life to highlight the statesman's significant contributions, until now little known or misunderstood in the United States and Europe.
Taiwan is only one of four consolidated Asian democracies. Democratizing Taiwan provides the most comprehensive analysis of Taiwan's peaceful democratization including the past authoritarian experience, leadership both within and outside government, popular protest and elections, and constitutional interpretation and amendments.
Electoral Geography, the analysis of spatial patterns of voting, is undergoing a renaissance with new methodological advances, theoretical shifts and changes in the political landscape. Integrating new conceptual approaches with a broad array of case studies from the USA, Europe and Asia, this volume examines key questions in electoral geography: How has electoral geography changed since the 1980s when the last wave of works in this sub discipline appeared? In what ways does contemporary scholarship in social theory inform the analysis of elections and their spatial patterns? How has electoral geography been reconfigured by social and technological changes and those that shape the voting process itself? How can the comparative analysis of elections inform the field? In addressing these issues, the volume moves electoral geography beyond its traditional, empiricist focus on the United States to engage with contemporary theoretical developments and to outline the myriad theoretical, conceptual and methodological perspectives and applications that together are ushering in electoral geography's revitalization. The result is a broader, comparative analysis of how elections reflect and in turn shape social and spatial relations.
Using country-specific case studies, top-rank analysts in the field focus on the lessons that dominant parties might learn from losing and the adaptations they consequently make in order to survive, to remain competitive or to ultimately re-gain power.