Taiwan Government Research Articles

Strong or thin digital democracy? The democratic implications of Taiwan's open government data policy in the 2010s

What kind of “democracy” do new government-led digital initiatives facilitate? This paper discusses the issue by investigating the open government data policy in Taiwan in the 2010s, asking whether the policy encouraged “strong democracy.” Using interviews, written records, and an analysis of platform design, I argue that the implementation of Taiwan's open data policy has not institutionalized the engagement of civil society groups or ordinary citizens in government decision-making processes, which is at odds with the claims that open government data encourages “strong democracy.” Instead, open government data in Taiwan has facilitated monitorial democracy, which presupposes watchful but not active citizens, and neoliberal democracy, which presupposes profit-pursuing citizens. Both are more in line with “thin democracy,” which focuses more on individual rights and private interests than on participation and political community. The finding sheds light on why conservative governments around the world often embrace open government initiatives.

Research on a zero water consumption operation model and feasibility for office buildings

ABSTRACT According to Taiwan's government policy on net zero emissions by 2050, building designs are moving toward zero energy and zero water consumption to achieve these challenge goals. Among these goals, establishing an independent water cycle within building systems is a primary objective. The present study examined office buildings as the research subject due to their crucial water usage characteristics, which can serve as a reference for other building types. We developed a water-use estimation model by conducting a literature review and data collection from existing green office building cases in Taiwan. The methods involved calculating the median annual water consumption per unit building area and discussing the current water-saving design status and water-saving rate. The findings indicate a median water-saving rate of 53%, which is far short of the goal of achieving a zero water building. This finding is primarily attributed to the infrequent use of water compensation in building designs. The feasibility of a zero water building is validated and determines its crucial operation. Consequently, design engineers can employ this methodology to compute water conservation rates for their designs, aiming for the construction of a zero water consumption building.

Proportion trends, cancer stage, and survival of patients with cancer diagnosed through emergency and nonemergency departments: a nationwide cohort study.

To reduce mortality, the Taiwan government has vigorously promoted free cancer screening and preventive health screening services. Cancers are usually advanced by the time they are discovered in the emergency department. Through this study, we aimed to understand the characteristics of cancer patients diagnosed through the emergency department and thus identify high-risk populations by comparing cancer staging and survival rates in patients diagnosed in the emergency department and those diagnosed in the non-emergency department. The retrospective study enrolled a total of 389,043 patients over the age of 20 who were newly diagnosed with one of the five major cancers (including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and oral cancer) between 2008 and 2017 and analyzed their diagnostic pathway, cancer stage at diagnosis, and survival time. Of the study participants, 59,423 patients (about 15.3%) were diagnosed with cancer through the emergency department. We found that a sizable proportion of older people and patients with low education and low incomes were diagnosed through emergency department visits, and those with a health condition comorbidity severity of 3 had the highest proportion diagnosed by the emergency department, advanced stages at diagnosis, and risk of death. These can be classified as high-risk groups. In addition, 76.4% of patients diagnosed in the emergency department had advanced cancer, and the risk of death was 1.46 times higher than that of patients diagnosed in the non-emergency department. Although cancer screening is available, it does not reduce the proportion of patients with advanced cancer who are diagnosed through or at the time of diagnosis in the emergency department. The present study found that the government's cancer screening did not affect the proportion or number of cancers diagnosed through emergency department visits. Therefore, the government should focus on more cancer screening, health education in high-risk groups, and strengthening the link between emergency and oncology departments to reduce the risk of death for patients diagnosed through emergency department visits.

What has changed and why: the transformation and (de)legitimisation of post-COVID policing in Hong Kong and Taiwan

ABSTRACT This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the governance and policing frameworks in Hong Kong and Taiwan, examining their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic’s public health crisis and the resulting shifts in policing contexts. Hong Kong experienced significant changes in police-citizen relations before the pandemic, notably during the 2019 protests that garnered global media attention and eroded public trust in the government. With the advent of COVID-19, Hong Kong introduced stringent anti-pandemic legislation aimed at achieving ‘zero-COVID’, further empowering the police for law enforcement. In contrast, Taiwan effectively managed the epidemic from 2020, keeping mass infections at bay until mid-2022, without significant social conflicts. This study delves into the academic implications of these divergent outcomes, seeking to explain what and why changes occurred (or did not) in these two places. Hong Kong’s response to the global health crisis, including the introduction of the National Security Law, fundamentally transformed its policing context, dismantling autonomous civil societies and reshaping public trust in the government and its police. In comparison, Taiwan’s policing exhibited limited post-crisis transformation, maintaining high public trust even amid stringent quarantine and lockdown regulations. This divergence reflects varying pathways of the legitimisation of police influenced by geopolitics, underscoring the importance of comparative studies in comprehending transformations of policing in different contexts following the global public health crisis.

‘Pity the Fishing People’: Taiwan’s Legal and Illegal Fishing in the 20th-century Pacific

ABSTRACT Newspapers and archives from Taiwan indicate a long history of Taiwan’s commercial fishing in the Pacific that has largely been overlooked. Using these resources, this article analyses the relationship between the Taiwan government and Taiwan fishermen in the Pacific from the 1940s to the 1980s, demonstrating how non-state actors such as fishermen dictated Taiwan’s official engagements in the region. I first outline the history of legal and illegal fishing by commercial Taiwan vessels in the Pacific from the 1940s to the 1980s. I then draw on two case studies: illegal fishing incidents in Tuvalu and Australia involving commercial Taiwan fishermen, and legal fishing operations in American Samoa. These case studies demonstrate how commercial fishermen impacted Taiwan-government engagements in the Pacific and were viewed by the government as a liability. The article concludes by connecting Taiwan’s commercial fishing history in the Pacific with the larger history of Taiwan in the region.

Research on the Influence of Self-Efficacy, Training Motivation, and Training Outcomes on the Employment Intentions of Unemployed Youth in Taiwan Government Vocational Training Programs

Research on the Influence of Self-Efficacy, Training Motivation, and Training Outcomes on the Employment Intentions of Unemployed Youth in Taiwan Government Vocational Training Programs

From China Lobby Activists to Blue Team Neoconservatives: The Evolution of the gop’s Views on Taiwan Since 1949

Abstract During the 1990s, American neoconservatives grew concerned over a burgeoning People’s Republic of China (prc) threatening the newly democratic government of Taiwan. They wanted the United States to bolster Taiwan’s standing in the international community, commit to defend the island, end strategic ambiguity, and prevent further entrenchment of the prc into international organizations. Some went as far as advocating for diplomatic recognition of Taiwan and Taiwanese independence. Neoconservatives frequently employed Wilsonian rhetoric to shore up support for Taiwan. Despite this liberal veneer, their foreign policy positions and thinking built on the approach of such groups as the China Lobby and New Right. This article’s analysis of neoconservative viewpoints on U.S. policy toward Taiwan shows how the neoconservatives in the United States evolved from earlier conservative positions, rather than injecting liberalism into gop foreign policy positions on Taiwan and the prc.

On the Association Between Demographic Structural Change and the Effectiveness of Nurse Staffing Policy for Inpatient Care: Evidence from Taiwan.

This study investigates the influence of demographic changes on the effectiveness of hospital nurse staffing policy, measured by the cumulative response of inpatient care quality to adjustments in hospital nurse staffing levels in Taiwan. The research design utilized in this study aligns with the observational time-series methodology, and a total of 99 monthly time-series observations were collected from multiple databases administered by the Taiwan government over the period from January 2015 to March 2023. Specifically, the time-varying parameter vector autoregressive and autoregressive distributed lag models were employed to investigate the association between age distribution and nurse staffing policy effectiveness. The time-varying impulse responses of the unplanned 14-day readmission rate after discharge to changes in nurse staffing levels indicate a positive association between patient-to-nurse ratios and unplanned 14-day readmission rates across various types of hospitals. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of hospitals' nurse staffing policy is observed to diminish with population aging, particularly evident in medical centers and regional hospitals. Policymakers should establish lower mandated patient-to-nurse ratios, grounded in practical nurse workforce planning, to address the needs of an aging society and enhance inpatient care quality through improved nurse staffing in hospitals.

Psychotropic medications and mortality from cardiovascular disease and suicide for individuals with depression in Taiwan

BackgroundPolypharmacy for treatment of depression has been increasing in Taiwan. MethodsIndividuals having depressive disorders were identified in a national database for healthcare services and followed up for 5 years. The mean dosage of antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and sedative-hypnotics was calculated; the associations between the exposure dosage to different psychotropic medications and patients’ overall death and death due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and suicide were examined. ResultsA total of 400,042 individuals with depressive disorders (63.8% women) were identified. Compared with those with no exposure to antidepressants, patients prescribed antidepressants had decreased mortality. Use of antipsychotics had a dose-related increase in overall mortality risk compared to no exposure group. Contrarily, depressed patients taking sedative-hypnotics had decreased overall and CVD mortality compared to no exposure group, with the most prominent decrease in CVD mortality of up to 54.9% for those in the moderate exposure group (hazard ratio: 0.451, 95% confidence interval: 0.405–0.503). A moderate or high dose of antidepressants or sedative-hypnotics was shown to be associated with a significantly increased mortality for suicide compared to those with no exposure. ConclusionsAntidepressant and sedative-hypnotic use was associated with decreased all-cause and CVD-related mortality and use of antipsychotics was associated with a dose-related increase in mortality risk. Future studies are needed to further clarify the involved mechanisms and benefits and risks should be carefully weighed when prescribing psychotropic medications in patients with depressive disorders.

Finding harmony in the sea: Resolving conflicts by regional marine spatial planning

Ocean space is of paramount importance to coastal regions worldwide. However, rapid coastal development has led to competition in marine spatial allocation, exacerbating conflicts within maritime domains. Despite significant progress in establishing regulations for coastal governance in Taiwan, conflicts across diverse maritime industries due to a lack of marine spatial planning (MSP) institutions remain a persistent challenge. Potential conflict areas were identified via geographic information system (GIS) maps to assist maritime governance and used in several rounds of coordination meetings with stakeholders for zoning. A regional MSP framework for improving maritime governance is proposed based on a case study, which shows that even without legal MSP institutions, local or certain central government departments can act as the key authorities for implementing the bottom-up planning concept with strong engagement from local communities. The proposed planning process includes: (1) establishing and employing a monitoring system to promptly identify marine activities that can facilitate efficient enforcement; (2) continuous communication with stakeholders led by the local government to improve amendment regulations and aid compliance; and (3) prioritizing the preservation of traditional use rights with community self-management to accelerate regional MSP processes.

Evaluating Taiwan's economic and labour market recovery strategies against COVID‐19

AbstractSince its emergence in 2020, COVID‐19 has profoundly influenced the Taiwan economy and employment landscape, leading to differential impacts across sectors. In response to this unprecedented crisis, the Taiwanese government promptly enacted the “Special Regulations on the Prevention and Rescue of Severe Specific Infectious Pneumonia” on February 25, 2020, which came into force on March 13. This study examines the pandemic's effects through various stages, with a particular focus on the service industry, the sector most affected owing to diminished domestic demand. Using a computable general equilibrium model by integrating monthly changes, the study assess the effectiveness of the Taiwan government's interventions in mitigating job losses and stabilising the economy. Our findings indicate that without the government's relief and revitalisation measures, unemployment rates would have surged significantly. The study underscores the critical role of policy interventions in mitigating the economic impacts of the pandemic.

Do Parties Negotiate After Trespass Litigation?An Empirical Study of Coasean Bargaining

The allocative efficiency outcome predicted by the Coase theorem critically depends on the assumption that, barring high transaction costs, parties will bargain after litigation and misallocated entitlements by courts will be re-allocated through voluntary exchanges. Ward Farnsworth’s 1999 small-scale survey lent credence to the claim that parties do not bargain after litigation because of the endowment effect and the animosity created by litigation. Farnsworth’s sample is small and statistically biased. Yet no other article has tested whether parties in the real world would systematically fail to exchange for behavioral reasons. This paper combines seven different data sources to shed light on this issue. We survey 1511 practicing attorneys, who reported that a substantial minority of their clients settled with the other litigating party after courts had rendered decisions. We also examine over 300 hand-coded Taiwanese cases in which the landowner sued the illicit possessor for building a structure on the plaintiff’s property. Real estate transaction records of the land in dispute show that in 6% of the cases, the landowner registered a sale of property to the possessor after the litigation. Evidence from Google Street View and satellite pictures taken by the Taiwan government suggests that the exchange rate is higher than 6%. Logistic regressions suggest that post-litigation bargaining dynamics are at least partly rational — allocative efficiency and transaction costs (conventionally defined) still matter. To the extent that the pro se status proxies for animosity incurred during litigation, Farnsworth’s thesis is also supported.

Building the Governance to Conserve and Utilize Industrial Heritage in East Asia: The Cases of Japan and Taiwan

This study examines the difference between Japan and Taiwan in building governance for the conservation and reuse of industrial heritage. Japan started paying attention to industrial facilities as heritage due to the neglect of heritage, regional decline, and awareness of asset conservation in both cases. In contrast, conservation projects in Taiwan started because under policy of disposing of public properties, the abandoned heritage was at the risk of redevelopment. Japan’s policy goal was to conserve assets in both cases, while Taiwan aimed at regenerating modern industrial heritage and revitalizing the region. In all three cases, we found that there was a promotion organization which consisted primarily of residents and citizens. In Japan’s case, local governments played a more prominent role than the central government; in Taiwan, both the central and local governments did their part appropriately. These differences between the two countries are also observed in the process of decommissioning industrial facilities and citizens’ awareness of industrial heritage.

Reflection on the Law Concerning Hospital Governance in Taiwan

Reflection on the Law Concerning Hospital Governance in Taiwan

Ethnicity, gender, and geographical distribution of dentists in Taiwan in 1939 (Showa 14)

Background/purposeTaiwan's dentistry entered into a new era of modernization and flourished during the Japanese colonial period. However, we know very little about the composition of dentists at that time. This study attempted to analyze the ethnicity, gender, and geographical distribution of dentists in Taiwan in 1939 (Showa 14). Materials and methodsThe methods of documentary analysis and secondary data analysis were adopted to find the composition of dentists during the late Japanese colonial period through a name list of contract dentists for the Postal Savings Insurance published in August 1939 (Showa 14) by the Taiwan Government Transportation Department Information Bureau. ResultsThe total number of contract dentists was 368, accounting for 86.79% of the 424 practicing dentists in Taiwan in 1939 (Showa 14). Of the 368 contract dentists (328 males and 40 females), 225 (61.14%) were Taiwanese and 143 (38.86%) were Japanese. Among the 8 prefectures in Taiwan, Tainan Prefecture had the largest number of dentists (97), followed by Taipei (84) and Taichung (78) prefectures. The number of contract dentists per 100,000 people was 6.24, equivalent to 16,021 people served by each contract dentist in 1939 (Showa 14). The chi-square test for the trend analysis of gender distribution indicated a significantly higher proportion of male than female contract dentists in either Taiwanese or Japanese ethnic group. ConclusionIn the late Japanese colonial period, the number of Taiwanese dentists exceeded that of Japanese dentists. Furthermore, there were more male than female dentists in either the Taiwanese or the Japanese population.

East Asia's private higher education crisis: Demography as destiny?

AbstractGlobally, one in three students are now enrolled in private higher education institutions (PHEIs), with the total reaching almost 70 million enrolments. This pattern is similar across a highly diverse Asia: more than 35% of students are enrolled in the private sector, and around 60% of higher education institutions (usually much smaller than their public counterparts) are private. But in East Asia, a combination of high participation rates and a rapidly ageing demographic has led to a complex, developing crisis, particularly in a much‐expanded private sector. Adding to the existing suite of problems – finance, over‐supply, declining standards, regulatory issues, and in some cases, corruption – the combined effect of recent COVID disruptions, regional economic reversals, and a rapidly ageing demographic has intensified existing problems, constituting a major crisis for the sector, especially more marginal private institutions. The analysis charts the various responses of governments in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China, draws out some of the limits to reform, and poses the dilemma for the future of private higher education in the region.

Chips and the Future of Taiwan

This paper provides (1) an outlook of Taiwan’s chip industry relative to other countries, (2) projections for Taiwan’s future with possible scenarios, (3) tentative forecasts for the future prospect of Taiwanese chip firms, and (4) policy suggestions in the interests of Taiwan. Our results show varying degrees of impacts on the revenues of chip firms based upon different war-peace scenarios. Taiwan's government should take active steps to de-risk and stabilize political relationships with China.

CASE STUDY OF THE GRADE A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY ON OPERATIONAL DIFFICULTIES IN TAIWAN

The construction industry plays a crucial role in the national economic development. Despite the Taiwan government investment substantial in various infrastructure, the operational challenges faced by the construction industry still severe, especially for “Grade A” construction companies. The study encompasses five major dimensions: industry policies and regulations, human resources, financial management, cost of raw material, and subcontracting management systems. Qualitative research methods are employed, including in-depth interviews with experts from the industry, government, and professional technicians. The suggestions gathered from these interviews are further refined through focus group discussions. This study concludes with recommendations for government agencies, the national tax authority, design and supervision entities, construction companies, and specialized subcontractors within the construction industry.

Factors Affecting the Recruitment of Foreign Migrant Workers in Taiwan: A Case Study of Vietnamese Migrant Workers

Abstract The global development has led to a huge increase in the number of cross-border mobile employment, and many advanced industrialized countries have introduced cross-border migrant workers in order to continue their economic development. Taiwan began to introduce foreign migrant workers in 1989, and has since opened up various application qualifications and quotas for migrant workers in different sectors. By the end of 2022, there were about 228,000 Vietnamese industrial migrant workers in Taiwan, which was the largest number, accounting for 45% of the total number. Therefore, this study discusses the distribution of countries from which Taiwan imports foreign workers and the countries to which Vietnam exports workers, and compares and analyzes the relevant laws and policies of Taiwan government and Vietnamese government. In addition, issues related to migrant worker policies and human resources agencies are discussed through in-depth interviews with human resources agents and questionnaires on Vietnamese migrant workers in Taiwan. Although many past studies focused on foreign workers, in recent years, the demand for industrial workers has changed due to the pandemic, and Taiwan has faced low birth rate, aging and other factors, which has also impacted the labor supply in the job market. Under this situation, the problem of labor shortage may become more serious. Therefore, this study also analyzes the influence of pandemic and other related factors, hoping that the research results can provide references for related fields of industry, official and university. JEL classification numbers: E24, J21, J48. Keywords: Migrant worker policies, Human resources agencies, In-depth interviews.

Strategi International Lesbian, Gay, Bixesual, Transgender, and Intersex Association (ILGA) dalam Mendorong Legalisasi Pernikahan Sesama Jenis di Taiwan

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) is an international organization formed in 1978. ILGA was establisehd with the aim of voicing equal rights and calling for anti-discrimination against LGBT groups. Taiwan, in 2019 became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. This policy cannot be separated from ILGA's influence. Through this writing, the authors review the strategy implemented by ILGA in supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan in 2019 using qualitative research methods and the policy influencer concept. This research describes ILGA's strategies, including; getting Taiwan government political support, how ILGA carries out political lobbying, building pro-LGBT alliances and encouraging dissemination and public knowledge regarding LGBT and same-sex marriage.