The Taiwan Relations Act Considered from Alternative Perspectives

Abstract

This essay introduces a special issue on the Taiwan Relation Act (TRA). consisting of papers that were originally presented at a conference held at the University of South Carolina to mark the TRA`s thirtieth anniversary. It seeks to situate the discussion of the TRA in the context of several perspectives. Thus showing its relevance to broader policy implications and theoretical traditions. Specifically, it offers alternative interpretations of the TRA as an instance of intra-governmental contest, two-level games. Interstate communication. Alliance politics, And linkage politics.