The Specter of the Past : Explaining Politicization in Taiwan

Nowadays most people of Taiwan believe in democracy as a universal value, and are ready to present Taiwan or the Republic of China as a fully-fledged democracy. Yet the operation of democratic politics does not necessarily lead to desired tolerance and mutualrespect, but instead to a divided or 'polarized' society. While the degree of both actual and perceived antagonismmay be exaggerated, a simple binary logic of 'us' versus 'them,' or the 'pan-blue' versus 'pan-green,' nevertheless penetrates virtually every public domain. In an important sense Taiwan's democratization is still unfinished. Looking for possible factors contributing to such phenomenon not only is crucial for the betterment of the island's future, but can also advance our understanding of democratization, democratic transition, and political development in Taiwan and other new demoncracies.