Publications-Proceedings
Article View/Open
Publication Export
-
Google ScholarTM
NCCU Library
Citation Infomation
Related Publications in TAIR
題名 Decoding Civil Society’s Efforts to Defend Democracy in Taiwan and Beyond 作者 楊昊
Yang, Alan Hao;Hsiao, Michael貢獻者 國際事務學院 日期 2025-11 上傳時間 2026-01-19 摘要 In recent years, global democracy has faced mounting threats from the expansion of authoritarianism. This trend is particularly evident in Asia, where some countries have experienced military coups or are grappling with serious democratic backsliding. Confronted by both external authoritarian pressure and the rise of internal populism, maintaining a healthy democratic system has become increasingly challenging for many nations. Nevertheless, in 2024, seventy democratic countries around the world successfully held elections and formed new governments. These political transitions underscore the continued resilience of democratic institutions and reaffirm democracy as the preferred choice for the majority of global citizens. Taiwan was among the nations that held successful elections in 2024. This study examines Taiwan’s democratic development in the face of global democratic challenges, and analyzes both the parallels and distinctions between Taiwan’s experience and that of other democracies. It seeks to decode the key factors shaping Taiwan’s democratic trajectory. More specifically, the study explores the evolution from the 2024 Bluebird Movement to the large-scale recall campaign of 2025, with a particular focus on the role of civil society in defending democracy and safeguarding national sovereignty. We argue that Taiwan’s democratic development is unique. It is neither a mere replication of colonial political models nor a product of romanticized political idealism, nor has it been free of crises. Taiwan’s democracy is the result of a long and complex process of multiple transformations, frequently shadowed by crises. The country’s transition from a Cold War-era authoritarian regime to an open and liberal democracy has been continuously challenged by both internal and external threats. Externally, Taiwan faces persistent coercion and the threat of annexation by China. Internally, authoritarian tendencies and pro-China political forces have, for various reasons, aligned with Beijing’s divide-and-conquer strategy toward Taiwan. This dynamic has endured for decades and remains present even after three peaceful transitions of political power. In light of these developments, this study is organized into four parts. Part I offers an introduction, emphasizing the unique features of Taiwan’s democratic evolution. Part II deconstructs the key factors influencing Taiwan’s democracy. Part III analyzes recent democratic developments, particularly the progression from the 2024 Bluebird Movement to the 2025 large-scale recall campaign, highlighting how the strength and leadership of civil society have underpinned Taiwan’s resilient democracy. Part IV concludes with a reflection on the lessons Taiwan’s experience may offer for other Indo-Pacific democracies and the potential for deepening democratic linkages in the region. 關聯 SNUAC Conference on Asian Studies, SNUAC 資料類型 conference dc.contributor 國際事務學院 dc.creator (作者) 楊昊 dc.creator (作者) Yang, Alan Hao;Hsiao, Michael dc.date (日期) 2025-11 dc.date.accessioned 2026-01-19 - dc.date.available 2026-01-19 - dc.date.issued (上傳時間) 2026-01-19 - dc.identifier.uri (URI) https://ah.lib.nccu.edu.tw/item?item_id=180648 - dc.description.abstract (摘要) In recent years, global democracy has faced mounting threats from the expansion of authoritarianism. This trend is particularly evident in Asia, where some countries have experienced military coups or are grappling with serious democratic backsliding. Confronted by both external authoritarian pressure and the rise of internal populism, maintaining a healthy democratic system has become increasingly challenging for many nations. Nevertheless, in 2024, seventy democratic countries around the world successfully held elections and formed new governments. These political transitions underscore the continued resilience of democratic institutions and reaffirm democracy as the preferred choice for the majority of global citizens. Taiwan was among the nations that held successful elections in 2024. This study examines Taiwan’s democratic development in the face of global democratic challenges, and analyzes both the parallels and distinctions between Taiwan’s experience and that of other democracies. It seeks to decode the key factors shaping Taiwan’s democratic trajectory. More specifically, the study explores the evolution from the 2024 Bluebird Movement to the large-scale recall campaign of 2025, with a particular focus on the role of civil society in defending democracy and safeguarding national sovereignty. We argue that Taiwan’s democratic development is unique. It is neither a mere replication of colonial political models nor a product of romanticized political idealism, nor has it been free of crises. Taiwan’s democracy is the result of a long and complex process of multiple transformations, frequently shadowed by crises. The country’s transition from a Cold War-era authoritarian regime to an open and liberal democracy has been continuously challenged by both internal and external threats. Externally, Taiwan faces persistent coercion and the threat of annexation by China. Internally, authoritarian tendencies and pro-China political forces have, for various reasons, aligned with Beijing’s divide-and-conquer strategy toward Taiwan. This dynamic has endured for decades and remains present even after three peaceful transitions of political power. In light of these developments, this study is organized into four parts. Part I offers an introduction, emphasizing the unique features of Taiwan’s democratic evolution. Part II deconstructs the key factors influencing Taiwan’s democracy. Part III analyzes recent democratic developments, particularly the progression from the 2024 Bluebird Movement to the 2025 large-scale recall campaign, highlighting how the strength and leadership of civil society have underpinned Taiwan’s resilient democracy. Part IV concludes with a reflection on the lessons Taiwan’s experience may offer for other Indo-Pacific democracies and the potential for deepening democratic linkages in the region. dc.format.extent 164 bytes - dc.format.mimetype text/html - dc.relation (關聯) SNUAC Conference on Asian Studies, SNUAC dc.title (題名) Decoding Civil Society’s Efforts to Defend Democracy in Taiwan and Beyond dc.type (資料類型) conference
