Politics of Taiwan

Taiwan’s politics encompass its democratic institutions, parties, elections, policies, and debates over sovereignty, national identity, and relations with China.

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Constitution of the Republic of China: Taiwan’s constitutional framework, originally adopted in 1947 and amended to govern the island’s democratic system. It provides the formal basis for Taiwan’s central institutions and constitutional debates.
Democratic Progressive Party: A Taiwanese political party that emphasizes Taiwanese identity, democratic self-government, and maintaining Taiwan’s de facto independence. It has led governments that place Taiwan’s distinct identity at the center of policy.
Cross-strait relations: Political, economic, and social relations between Taiwan and mainland China across the Taiwan Strait. It is the central external relationship shaping Taiwan’s security and political debate.
White Terror (Taiwan): The period of political repression under Kuomintang rule in Taiwan, especially from 1949 to 1987. Its legacy informs debates about authoritarianism, transitional justice, and political freedoms.
Taiwanese identity: A sense of belonging to Taiwan, shaped by history, culture, political experience, and changing self-identification. Identity influences party alignment and views of Taiwan’s relationship with China.
President of Taiwan: The directly elected head of state and government of Taiwan, formally the Republic of China. The presidency is the central office contested in national elections.
Kuomintang: A political party that governed China before 1949 and later Taiwan, now favoring closer cross-strait engagement than the DPP. Its competition with the DPP structures much of Taiwan’s national politics.
Taiwan independence movement: A political movement advocating Taiwan’s recognition as an independent sovereign state, distinct from China. Its goals sharpen disagreement over Taiwan’s status and future.
February 28 incident: The 1947 uprising and government crackdown in Taiwan that killed and disappeared thousands of people. It remains a foundational memory in discussions of state violence and Taiwanese identity.
Status of Taiwan: The disputed international and constitutional status of Taiwan and the Republic of China. Its ambiguity underlies arguments over sovereignty, diplomacy, and constitutional reform.