Written by Lucy Best. This article argues that issues of everyday governance, such as budgets, industrial development, and energy availability, that underpin Taiwan’s strategic success have become increasingly important for Taiwan’s partners to understand. Taiwan’s resilience is a question of whether its democratic institutions can continue to manage disagreement, produce effective policy and maintain public trust.
Written by Josh Boynton. This article argues that Taiwan’s democratisation did more than just change how Taiwan was governed, but also allowed Taiwanese to publicly express who they thought they were. It created a new social and political experience that solidified into a unique Taiwanese identity and became a moderating force, especially for the younger generation who have no memory of authoritarian rule.
Written by Will Foster. This article unpacks the emergence and development of a distinct Taiwanese political identity that was unleashed by its transition to democracy. It argues that democratisation shifted Taiwan’s identity away from the ROC’s claim over China to democratic self-determination of Taiwan’s future. It also enables the development of democratic values that shape its current tensions with China.
Written by Nikhil Sharma. This article analyses the historical contexts that underpinned eventual reforms and the reimagining of Taiwanese identity resulting from Taiwan’s democratic transition. It argues that Taiwan’s nationalism is unique because it is not rooted in ethnicity but in a shared experience of historical repression and a shared struggle to chart its own path.
Written by Meng Kit Tang. The article examines how Cheng Nan-jung, now commemorated as a martyr of free speech, was once violently rejected by the opposition movement that later claimed his ideals. It argues that this episode is a test of democratic credibility. By placing the 1987 incident alongside present-day political rhetoric, the piece highlights the risks of selective remembrance in a maturing democracy.
Written by Jeremy Chang. This article explores the intersection of dialogic education and Taiwan’s vibrant yet fragile democracy. By framing Taiwan as a “contested dialogic space,” the author demonstrates how democratic life—through movements like the Sunflower protest and civic tech initiatives like g0v—functions as a form of public pedagogy. The author argues that dialogue is not merely a classroom technique, but an essential, labor-intensive democratic practice required to sustain a pluralistic society.
