ABSTRACT
Many students of political development have come to regard Taiwan as a model. Most say Taiwan has successfully made the transition from an authoritarian dictatorship to a modern democracy. Although domestic factors for the most part explain Taiwan's success in democratization, the United States (US)—Taiwan's mentor after World War II—also played an important role. The US was clearly in a position to influence Taiwan politically. A number of factors had already converged or coincided in 1979 to push Taiwan's political modernization process forward. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the US encouraged democratic reforms in Taiwan, applying pressure on the government at times. In order to understand the democratization process fully and the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act to this process, it is necessary also to assess the impact of economic change on political modernization. Academics, statesmen, and members of the media agree that Taiwan is a model of economic growth.
