The State-Capacity and Its Transformation from Development to Managerial: The Case of Republic of China on Taiwan

Abstract

The states of East Asian Newly Industrailizing Countries (NICs) have played a significant role in accelerating economic growth . The states have not only modernized agriculture but also fostered industrialization (Wade 1990; Cheng 1990; Gold 1986; Evans 1992). The states of NICs which are able to bring about economic miracle are called developmental states (Wade 1990; Evans 1992).However, experiences during J990s undercut the state's image as the preeminent change agent. The states began to appear as the impotent apparatus. by the beginning of the 1990s, a second wave of thinking on the role of the state was beginning to emerge and reevaluate the role of the state and state capacity in dealing with economic development.Developmental state of NICs spawns two contradictions and limits inherent in the developmental states, revealing contradiction of institution and contradiction of autonomy in the state which weaken the state power in steering economic structural changes(Kim 1993: 231-231). Scholars began to argue that the state would become a weak state which would no longer to steer structural change of economy. As matter of fact, the state has not lost itself, but rather transform itself from the developmental into managerial in response to the growth of private sector and to new development agendas.