The Parliamentary System

In the early post-war period, the Nationalist government established local self-governance and political participation systems in Taiwan. In 1946, Taiwan held its first-ever provincial assembly elections, giving Taiwanese their first opportunity to participate in politics through the ballot. However, this system was constrained from the outset: the Provincial Assembly had only an advisory function, with actual decision-making power remaining in the hands of the Chief Executive's office.

Language barriers placed many Taiwanese assemblymen at a disadvantage in the chamber, and Chen Yi's government imposed various restrictions on native Taiwanese political participation, rendering "democracy" a mere decoration in name only. This pattern of "granting form while limiting substance" became a significant factor in native Taiwanese disillusionment with the new regime.

This volume explores the germination of post-war Taiwan's democratic institutions and their structural contradictions.