The Rise of the New Power Party in Taiwan’s 2016 Legislative Election: Reality and Challenges

Abstract

This chapter asks that given Taiwan’s current socioeconomic situation and electoral system, will the newly emerged New Power Party (NPP) become one of the main political parties in Taiwan in the upcoming future? We answer the question by identifying electoral, ideological, supportive, and organizational factors. The findings show that, first, the current electoral system seems unfavorable for a small party like NPP who rely on more radical stances; second, the NPP’s ideological positions may be adverse to increase its voters’ base; third, the NPP’s ambition of becoming a left-wing political party does not seem to correspond well with current supporters; and fourth, the party’s centralized, top-down communicative manner can be detrimental to its popularity among the new internet generation.