Democratizing Bureaucracy: The Political Economy of Environmental Impact Assessment and Air Pollution Fees in Taiwan

Abstract

Although many institutional obstacles for civic participation have remained in Taiwan, a decade of democratization has created more opportunities for environmental activists to influence policymaking. The policymaking processes for environmental impact assessment and air pollution prevention fees illustrate how environmental groups can potentially exert considerable influence on the bureaucracy by gaining support from legislators, the media, and occasionally the courts. More civic participation may slow down environmental policymaking, but it helps to ensure a strong government commitment to protecting broad-based environmental interests.