ABSTRACT
This chapter charts Taiwan’s changing party scene in the build-up to and aftermath of the 2016 elections. An understanding of the party scene requires an examination of both the development of key individual parties and the overall party system, including material resources they can draw upon, what they stand for and what they do. This study of the evolving Taiwanese party system considers fragmentation, ideological positioning, the openness of the system to new entrants and the relationship between the relevant political parties. The study presented in this chapter pays particular attention to patterns of change, advancing a concept and measurement of party change over time. Empirical analysis based on election results, campaign spending and parties’ treatment of political issues provides the basis for an assessment of the emerging trajectories of party competition in terms of party strength, fragmentation, convergence, and polarisation.
