Deliberative Democracy in Taiwan : A Deliberative Systems Perspective

This book is a pioneering analysis of the deliberative systems approach in Taiwan, extending an understanding of Taiwanese democratic politics and consolidating links between theoretical development and a practical application of deliberative practices.

As a front-runner of new democracies in Asia and a relatively open society, Taiwan provides a model for deliberative governance, with a view towards institutional innovation and increasing democratisation. This book considers how components within the intricate web of micro- and macro- deliberative systems perform different functions, complement each other, and contribute both to policy change and democratic innovation. Specific cases are provided – such as participatory budgeting in Taipei City and the government-academia alliance model – to demonstrate the long-term systemic effects of mini-publics and citizen actions. In addition, the book proposes the possibility of deliberative democracy for other countries in the world, alongside various policy issues, including mini-publics, e-participation, co-governance, citizen science, negotiation mechanisms, and the deliberative practices of indigenous peoples.

Deliberative Democracy in Taiwan will appeal to students and scholars of East Asian studies, Taiwanese politics, political science and social movement studies.

Mei-Fang Fan is professor at the Institute of Science, Technology and Society, National Yang-Ming University; researcher of Risk Society and Policy Research Center of National Taiwan University. Research interests include environmental justice, deliberative democracy and governance. Her recent book chapters on environmental justice in East Asia and wind turbine construction in Taiwan appeared in the Routledge Handbook of Environmental Justice (2018) and Energy Transition in East Asia (2017).