Contemporary Taiwan is a democracy with strong institutions, an independent judiciary, free media, and routine free and fair elections. Political participation is high, with keenly fought campaigns and intense political debates. There are features in the operation and practice of democracy in Taiwan that older democracies could learn from. Every citizen has the right to vote, ballots are counted efficiently and publicly to ensure accountability, and civil society is bustling with watchdog organizations to track parties and politicians during elections. The institutions that make up Taiwan's democracy were forged through decades of authoritarian rule and subsequent democratization processes (Rigger 2002), and in some respects democratic reforms are still incomplete and ongoing (Mattlin 2011). In this chapter, we will summarize the main features of Taiwan's democratic transition, discuss how Taiwan's democracy works today, and explore the unique political spectrum that defines everyday politics.

THE CAUSES OF TAIWAN's DEMOCRATIZATION

Democratization in Taiwan was a gradual, generally peaceful and multi-faceted process extending over a prolonged period and marked by electoral milestones (Tien & Chu 1996). It generally followed a cycle of opposition demands for reform, concessions by the KMT, followed by further demands from civil society. Democratization is not simple anywhere and Taiwan was no exception. The extent of the KMT's authoritarian rule under martial law was so ubiquitous that every sector, every institution and the entire bureaucracy required liberalizing reforms.

What led to Taiwan's democratization? What were the necessary conditions that allowed for Taiwan to democratize after decades of authoritarian rule? There is no singular cause or single answer. Instead, there are a host of important factors that together led to Taiwan's democratic transition. While many different theories of democratization may emphasize the role of the KMT or the role of grassroots activists, it was a combination of these different variables that pushed Taiwan to democratize. We summarize these conditions here.

First, physical infrastructure established during the Japanese colonial era and KMT authoritarian era. Despite relegating Taiwanese people to second-class citizens, Japanese colonial rule was responsible for beginning Taiwan's industrialization process. Physical infrastructure like railroads, wells and irrigation for agriculture were constructed across Taiwan.