1. Transnational Engagement, Remittances and Policy Change: Political Bargain between Taiwanese Government and Business People.
- Author
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Su, Yu-Sung
- Subjects
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REMITTANCES , *BUSINESSPEOPLE , *INTERNATIONAL economic integration , *POLITICAL development ,TAIWANESE politics & government, 2000- - Abstract
This paper employs both historical and rational choice institutionalist approaches to answer the research question of why Taiwan abandoned its "no haste, be patient" policy which aimed at slowing economic integration with mainland This paper employs both historical and rational choice institutionalist approaches to answer the research question of why Taiwan abandoned its "no haste, be patient" policy which aimed at slowing economic integration with mainland China. I explain this policy reversal by modeling a game of pigs in a box between expatriate business people and the Taiwanese government. I conclude that, in the pre-2000 institutional setting, policy change was unlikely. However, post-2000 political developments, in particular the emergence of a split within the KMT and the electoral victory of an opposition (DPP) candidate for president, created an opening for business people to exploit their control over significant remittance flows and thereby force a change in policy. A study of voting behavior confirms with the institutional analysis that voters receiving remittances were more likely to vote for the DPP opposition. Hence, the increased ease of movement of money and people across the strait that separates China and Taiwan will further opportunities to increase contestation in Taiwanese politics. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009