Abstract
This paper conducts an analysis of the implementation of the new electoral system (single-district, two-votes system) in practice in 2008. It is focused on the research of two aspects: first, the voter’s awareness of the new electoral system; second, the impact of the new electoral system on the political party system. In the research methods, this article combines the analysis of an individual survey data and information on the election results, trying to find an answer to the question about Taiwan’s voters knowledge of the electoral system situation, the factors that affect the knowledge of the electoral system, as well as the issues of the new electoral system’s impact on the change and development of the political party system. The research has found out that: Taiwan’s voter awareness of the current electoral system is not high. The further research into the relations between the knowledge of the electoral system and the voting choice, as well as the control of other possible factors of influence, showed that the voters who have a more correct and clear understanding of the electoral system have the tendency to vote for small parties.From the results of the general information, the practice of the electoral system indeed led to the decline in pluralistic views. The number of effective parties in the parliament has significantly decreased to that one before restructuring. The new electoral system has made survival difficult for small parties, while the rate of the wasted vote in the regional constituency increased dramatically, making it more difficult to represent pluralistic views.These possible problems caused by the new electoral system, also triggered reactions and initiatives among the domestic public concerning the reform of the electoral system in 2015.
Highlights
This paper conducts an analysis of the implementation of the new electoral system in practice in 2008
In terms of party identification, those who identified themselves with small political parties have a higher rate of the correct answers than those who identified themselves with the KMT party and the DPP party in the area of questions such as: “the seats should be elected in a regional constituency”, “party vote threshold, “total seats should be selected”
As for the electoral system reform, the scholar Taagepera suggested that the new electoral system should be put in practice at least three times [Farrell, 2001, p. 182], because some effects which might come from the impact brought by the electoral system change, need some time to exploit
Summary
Political development, the political party development and voters’ behavior, so the pluralistic aspects of the electoral system reform and its political impact could be discussed. Before 2008, the adopted legislative election system was the Single-Non-transferable vote system. In this system that was implemented in the Multi-Member District, voters can cast only one vote. Except the regional constituency seats, there are still at-large seats and overseas elected seats, which were in accordance with the proportion of party vote to allocate. Electoral system Single-Non-transferable Vote (at-large and overseas election, seats allocation in accordance with the proportion of votes parties get). Single-Non-transferable Vote (at-large and overseas election, seats allocation in accordance with the proportion of votes parties get).
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