Politics in Taiwan: Voting for Reform

By Shelley Rigger

Book Overview

This book shows that Taiwan, unlike other countries, avoided serious economic disruption and social conflict, and arrived at its goal of multi-party competition with little blood shed. Nonetheless, this survey reveals that for those who imagine democracy to be the panacea for every social, economic and political ill, Taiwan's continuing struggles against corruption, isolation and division offer a cautionary lesson. This book is an ideal, one-stop resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of political science, particuarly those interested in the international politics of China, and the Asia-Pacific.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415172098
• ISBN13: 9780415172097
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Superb

Professor Rigger's inaugural work shows a great deal of talent and promise. She argues convincingly that it was the very institution of local elections, conducted even in the darkest days of the Chiang Kai-Shek era, that made a crucial contribution to the island's later peaceful transition to democracy. Very insightful and informative.

A Must-Read

'Politics in Taiwan' is an extraordinarily well researched, elegantly argued and very readable book. It concisely contends that Taiwan's 'democratic miracle' is a result of a long history of local elections that have taken place on the island, inculcating democratic skills and nurturing a viable opposition to the authoritarian regime. The book comprises an equal blend of theoretical reasoning and empirical richness. Professor Rigger nicely captures both the dynamics of historical development and the contingencies of real-life politics. A must-read for those interested in contemporary Taiwan and/or democratization, and very suitable for the college classroom.

Politics in Taiwan

An outstanding contribution to understanding the current status of the political scene in this part of Asia and its implications for the greater world community. It is comprehensive, well organized, and very readable, even for the relative novice to the field.