Basic Reading:

1.         Hague, Rod and Martin Harrup (2001). Comparative Government and Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Chapter 11 Political Parties

2.         Fell, Dafydd (2005). “Measuring and Explaining Party Change in Taiwan.” Journal of East Asian Studies, 5, 1: pp.105-133. (O)

3.          Wong, Joseph (2008). “Maintaining KMT dominance: party adaptation in authoritarian and democratic Taiwan, in Edward Friedman and Joseph Wong (eds), Political transitions in dominant party systems :Learning to lose. London, Routledge.

4.          Fell, Dafydd (2005). “Success and Failure of New Parties in Taiwanese Elections.” China: An International Journal, 3, 2: pp.212-239. (C)

5.         Fell, Dafydd (2008). “Interparty Competition in Taiwan: Towards a New Party System,” in Goldsten (ed.), Presidential Politics in Taiwan.

6.          Lin, Chiung-chu (2006). “The Evolution of Party Images and Party System in Taiwan, 1992-2004.” East Asia: An International Quarterly, 23, 1: pp.27-46.

Discussion Questions:

1.          What types of parties dominate Taiwanese politics?

2.          How have the parties changed (esp. ideologically) over time?

3.          How has the party system changed since the late 1980s?

4.          How can we best explain party success and failure in Taiwan?

5.          How and why have Taiwan’s parties changed their nomination practices?

6.          Why have third parties failed in Taiwan?

7.          How does multi-party politics in Taiwan compare with other democracies? 

8.          What are the major challenges facing Taiwan’s party politics?

9.          How has Taiwan’s party system changed over the last two decades?

10.      How can we best explain party system change?

11.      Does the party system matter?