Institute of Political Science at Academia Sinica

In the thirty years since the beginning of democratization in the late 1980s, Taiwan has transitioned from an emerging to an institutionalized democracy. IPSAS carries out research into Taiwan politics and the political development of democratic countries, with an emphasis on political institutions (such as the semi-presidential constitutional system, the shift in the electoral system from SNTV to MMM, and the party nomination system).

These issues are viewed from the perspectives of party politics, ethnicity and identity, legislative behavior, political psychology, and political communication. Within a comparative theoretical framework, we aim not only to compare Taiwan’s experience of democratic development with that of other emerging democracies in Asia, but also to place it within the broader context of all democratic countries. We seek to promote and deepen multinational and multisector dialogue and to serve as a bridge between Taiwan and countries in the Americas, Western Europe, and Asia with the aim of strengthening future democratic development policies.

The research group on Taiwan politics and comparative democracy compares emerging and transitioning democracies with mature democracies, focusing its analysis on states undergoing transition from authoritarianism in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Latin America. This group’s plans for the future include studies in the following four critical areas: (1) semi-presidentialism; (2) electoral politics and electoral systems; (3) legislative studies; and (4) ethnic politics. Exploring topics in Taiwan politics from these perspectives will not only help us to accumulate knowledge, promote international relations, and enhance the quality of research, but will also broaden Taiwan’s global horizons and move us closer to our goal of internationalizing political science in Taiwan.

IPSAS series I
Constitutional Reform: Background, Operation, and Impact

The Taiwan National Security Survey (TNSS) was initiated by a group of political scientists in 2002 to track shifts and trends in Taiwanese public opinion on national security issues, cross-Strait relations, and important international events. Fourteen TNSS surveys in total have been conducted from 2002 to 2022. The survey data is freely available to academic researchers, practitioners, and the broader public. Many researchers have regarded the TNSS as an essential database for investigating and understanding Taiwanese views and attitudes on national security issues and a valuable resource for informing policy debates in Taiwan.

Website : TNSS Database (Open a URL in a new tab)