ABSTRACT
Taiwan's spectacular economic growth in the past three decades has been widely recognized (Galenson 1979; Hsiung et al. 1981). Most frequently noted are the growth of gross national product (GNP) which averaged 9.2 percent from 1963 to 1985 (Balassa 1988), the growth in exports of manufactured goods, and the advances in health and education (Oshima 1988). Taiwan has also been acclaimed as a model of "growth with equity," having maintained a more equal distribution of income during development than most other Asian countries (Barrett and Chin 1987; Kuo 1983). More recently, Taiwan has gained added recognition for instituting political reforms that have increased the level of democracy and the participation of Taiwanese in the government (Pye 1988). Despite these many advances, there is concern about whether all groups have shared equally in Taiwan's economic growth.
