THE INTERACTION OF ETHNICITY AND PARTY POLITICS IN TAIWAN

This paper offers a preliminary analysis of the relationship between e thnic politics and party politics in Taiwan as manifested in the 1994 mayoral and gubernatorial elections. Irt has been argued that the role of ethnicity was a contributing factor in the democratization of Taiw an as a multiethnic society. However, Taiwan is an ethnically segmente d rather than ethnically divided society. Vague ethnic lines and weak interethnic hostility are cited as distinctive features of Taiwan's et hnic relations. Nevertheless, indigenization policies have paralleled the development and mobilization of the mainlanders' sense of crisis l eading to the emergence of defensive ethnic voting in the 1994 electio ns. Though Taiwan's ethnic voting and ethnic political parties are eme rging at a relatively slow pace, the author warns against the negative effects of polarized ethnic politics and also analyzes alternative so lutions to avoid these problems.