The Evolution of Administrative Reform in Taiwan: From Authoritarian Government to Democratic Governance

Abstract

Abstract Administrative reform in Taiwan can only be understood within the context of recent political development. The government has been changed from an authoritarian regime to a democratic one since 1987. By examining administrative reform programs in Taiwan in terms of changing state-society relations over time, this article attempts to demonstrate that government actions have been constrained by the structuralized historical realities. Administrative reforms ought to be perceived as the products of politicization through which politicians, bureaucrats, and members of the civil society attempt to advance their respective interests and influence in the interactive relations. Recent administrative reform programs in Taiwan have embraced the notions of New Public Management (NPM). However, in the process of authoritarian transformation, the implementation of NPM-based reforms has encountered difficulties and resistance. These barriers of reform are all familiar to students of public administration. An a...