The Democratization Process of Poland and Taiwan: Comparative Perspective

Taiwan and Poland, although many differences, were given as interesting cases of democratization. Both processes of democratization started in a similar time, and were influenced by the economi factors, international environment, and had important reasons in elite forming and historical experiences.

Poland and Taiwan: two parts of the world distant from each other, differing culturally and socially, and yet facing kind of similar challenges in the late 1980s and early 1990s characterised by the transition from an authoritarian political system to liberal democracy. This book seeks to present the process of democratisation of Poland and Taiwan from the point of view of shared perspectives. Invoking the classical literature of transitology, it is possible to explore similarities and differences between the democratisation of Poland and Taiwan among socioeconomic factors, fragmentation in society, political culture, meso- structures (e.g. political groups, social movements), political institutions, historical and national- identity aspects, and international influences.

Autorentext

Lukasz Zamecki is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies of the University of Warsaw. Li-Jiuan Chen-Rabich is a professor at the Graduate Institute of European Studies and director of the Centre for European Union Studies at Tamkang University.

Inhalt

The process of democratization of Taiwan and Poland

Historical and identity - related perspectives

Social and economic perspectives

Elites of power and opposition

The role of student movements

The geopolitics of democratization

Changes in the political system

Challenges of the political transition