In search of a homeland: National identity issues and Taiwan's democratization

Tsong-Jyi Lin, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the interplay between national identity issues and Taiwan's democratization. Focusing on the elite-mass linkage, the study hypothesizes that national identity issues with distinct concerns have been playing the crucial role in different stages of Taiwan's political development. By dividing the past half-century into three periods, several findings can be described below. First, discrimination policy adopted by the authoritarian regime and group segregation led by historical factors significantly fostered ethnic distinctness and alienation in the island. Ethnic divisions and contending national identities thus became substantial cleavages in Taiwanese society. This was the reason why the BSJ dissidents since the late 1940s had applied national identity issues as their major appeal challenging the WSJ-dominated regime. However, due to the KMT's tight control, the issues raised by dissidents did not have access to the public; an effective elite-mass alliance against the KMT therefore never emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Second, the openness of limited national elections since 1969 was a turning point providing opportunities for the elite-mass connection. Nevertheless, a successful linkage between opposition elites and masses did not form until domestic and international environments became favorable to dissidents in the 1980s. Based on the platform of opposing ethnic discrimination, the BSJ-led opposition in the 1980s had successfully sought a coalition with a portion of the BSJ. The reciprocal elite-mass linkage in this period (1983–91) made the opposition progressive in electoral competition. Third, the KMT's position on national identity issues took a big turn when the issues proceeded into the 1990s. Having been aware of the powerful influence of national identity issues in electoral mobilization, the ruling KMT had also adopted some of the opposition's appeals, such as the pragmatic diplomacy, and translated them into concrete policies. These shifts, which fundamentally undermined the KMT'S traditional argument of “one China (ROC)” policy, later forced two outside actors—the US and China—to show their bottom line for the Taiwan problem. National identity issues in the 1990s undoubtedly shifted from a domestic dispute into an international confrontation. Both political elites and masses in Taiwan had to seriously take the two outsiders' reaction into account when making decisions related to national identity issues.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Wilson, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Political science

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