Introduction

The introductory chapter poses the major questions that the volume is tackling: What is the legacy of the Ma Ying-jiu era? Why did Ma, who started with a strong mandate when he was first elected in 2008, fall from grace in the final stage of his presidency? The introduction provides the reader with a brief overview of the major achievements and obvious failures of the Ma administration’s eight years in power. It then summarizes each chapter to give the reader a first orientation of the volume’s context and major findings.