ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the large-scale economic and societal changes that have occurred in Taiwan since 1971, such as the development of a new, more activist middle class, and a new urban environment. These new forces and conditions generated sociopolitical pressures that forced the regime to reform itself and that changed the pace and nature of political change and democratization. The chapter begins with an examination of the development of the export-oriented industrial economy that transformed the face of the island, made it a major player in the world economy, and forced the pace of both social change and political evolution. 1 The discussion then turns to the multileveled and multifaceted societal evolution that gave birth to an educated, articulate, and politically conscious middle class that would use its new-found power to push for changes in Taiwan’s political structure (examined in Chapter 15). 2 The conclusion explores the process of urbanization that changed the face of the Taiwanese landscape.
