ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the impacts and consequences of power rotation for Taiwan's democratic consolidation. It analyzes the structural, institutional and ideological sources beneath the island's simmering crisis of democratic governance. A more useful analytical scheme developed by Andreas Schedler suggests that people should examine the impact and consequences of Taiwan's power rotation across five analytical domains: avoiding democratic breakdown, avoiding democratic erosion, completing democracy, deepening democracy and organizing democracy. Taiwan democracy's first real power rotation established a series of new precedents and reinforced the popular belief in the legitimacy of the new democratic institutions. In the domain of organizing democracy, the authors ask if the two power rotations facilitated the strengthening of some key sub-systems within a functioning liberal democracy. There are three structural forces – deteriorating international competitiveness, aging population and dwindling fiscal resources – casting a dark cloud over Taiwan.
