Public Faith in Democracy The Maturing of a (Skeptical) Democratic - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Public Faith in Democracy The Maturing of a (Skeptical) Democratic Culture in Taiwan

REASONABLY HIGH SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY

Measuring Democratic Legitimacy in the Asian Barometer • Support for Democracy (average of three percentages) 1. Agree: “Democracy is preferable to any other form of government” 2. Agree: “Democracy is capable of solving the problems of our society” 3. Agree: “Democracy may have its problems but it is still the best form of government” • Rejection of Authoritarianism (percent reject ALL three options for authoritarian rule). 1. Get rid of parliament and elections and have a strong leader decide 2. One-party rule 3. Military rule

Average Levels of Democratic Legitimacy in East Asia, 2010-2011 90.0 80.0 77.1 74.3 74.4 73.0 69.5 70.0 67.9 67.9 65.7 63.1 Average 61.7 Democratic 60.0 Legitimacy Percentage % 51.9 50.0 44.3 44.3 Rejection of all three 40.0 38.1 authoritarian alternatives 30.0 20.0 10.0 Taiwan Korea Philippines Mongolia Thailand Indonesia Singapore Country

Trends in Democratic Legitimacy in Taiwan 75 70 65 60 59.7 Democracy is always 55 54.8 Percentage % preferable to 50.8 50 any other kind of government 46.8 47.2 45 40 40.4 Democracy is capable of 35 solving the problems of our 30 society 25 2001 2005 2010 Time Period

Democracy vs. Economic Development "If you had to choose between democracy and economic development, which would you say is more important?" 90.0 80.0 70.0 76.2 72.3 60.0 65.1 58.5 66.8 1. Economic 50.0 development is 39.9 40.0 more important 49.1 33.1 49.1 2. Democracy is 30.7 26.9 30.0 41.1 41.1 more or equially 21.0 important 20.0 10.0 0.0 Korea Taiwan Mongolia Philippines Thailand Singapore Vietnam

Rejection of Specific Authoritarian Options, 2010-2011 60.0 53.8 We should get rid of parliament 50.0 and elections and have a strong leader decide things. 40.0 37.0 34.8 Only one political Percentage % 32.3 party should be allowed to stand 30.0 for election and 24.6 24.3 hold office. 22.5 20.2 20.0 17.8 17.7 16.6 16.3 15.1 The army 14.1 (military) should 11.2 10.4 10.4 come in to 9.7 9.4 10.0 govern the 6.8 country. 4.2 .0 Taiwan Korea Philippines Mongolia Thailand Indonesia Singapore

Percent Rejection of all Authoritarian options, 2005-2006 90 80 77 69 70 60 56 55 50 39 40 28 30 20 10 0 Indonesia Korea Taiwan Thailand Philippines Mongolia

Trends in Support for Authoritarian Options in Taiwan 20 18.6 18 16.7 16 15.7 15.1 We should get rid of parliament and Percentage % 14 elections and have a strong leader decide things. 12 11.4 10 Only one political party should be 9.4 allowed to stand for election and hold 8 office. 6 2001 2005 2010

But what about Diffuse System Support? General Pride in the System, not specific to democracy

Yun-han Chu’s Puzzle • The Asian Barometer Survey Wave III applied a five-item battery measuring diffuse regime support. • Non-democratic regimes and hybrid regimes enjoy much higher level of popular legitimacy than democratic regimes on virtually every indicator • There is almost a reverse relationship between a country’s level of democratic development and regime support.

Figure 2a: Regime Support (First Item) "Thinking in general, I am proud of our system of government " 100.0 90.0 16.4 80.0 70.0 32.6 50.2 60.0 50.0 40.0 12.6 2.5 11.2 76.0 strongly agree 30.0 agree 2.7 49.0 20.0 37.4 36.3 33.8 32.6 25.9 10.0 .0 Source: Asian Barometer Survey Wave III (2010~2011)

Figure 2b: Regime Support (Second Item) "A system like ours, even if it runs into problems, deserves the people's support" 100.0 90.0 80.0 14.0 70.0 37.4 29.2 60.0 43.0 20.4 50.0 2.9 40.0 strongly agree 72.1 30.0 agree 1.9 50.9 47.8 46.6 20.0 40.2 33.6 25.4 10.0 .0 Source: Asian Barometer Survey Wave III (2010~2011)

Figure 2c: Regime Support (Third Item) "Over the long run, our system of government is capable of solving the problems our country faces" 100.0 90.0 12.7 80.0 70.0 21.8 42.4 23.4 60.0 4.5 24.4 50.0 2.7 40.0 80.2 strongly agree 30.0 agree 56.7 56.0 49.6 45.5 42.4 20.0 39.4 10.0 .0 Source: Asian Barometer Survey Wave III (2010~2011)

Figure 2d: Regime Support (Fourth Item) "Compared with other systems in the world, would you say our system of government works fine as it is, needs minor change, needs major change, or should be replaced? " 100.0 90.0 80.0 38.5 70.0 29.2 35.3 60.0 fine as it 50.0 is 2.7 40.0 5.5 4.4 30.0 54.2 50.5 43.5 43.1 20.0 31.9 31.9 10.0 needs 4.8 7.1 minor .0 change Source: Asian Barometer Survey Wave III (2010~2011)

Figure 2e: Regime Support (Fifth Item) "I would rather live under our system of government than any that I can think of" 100.0 90.0 15.0 80.0 70.0 46.5 35.3 60.0 5.5 50.0 19.7 21.0 3.6 40.0 strongly agree 74.2 30.0 agree 55.2 43.1 20.0 39.5 39.6 39.8 33.7 10.0 .0 Source: Asian Barometer Survey Wave III (2010~2011)

Figure 3: Overall Level of Regime Legitimacy Average Score of the Five-Item Battery (-2 ~ +2) 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 1.1733 1.0345 1.0191 0.4 country mean 0.2 0.1921 0.0575 0.1205 0 -0.23926 -0.2 -0.4 Source: Asian Barometer Survey Wave III (2010~2011)

Satisfaction and Perception of Democracy, 2010-11 100.0 89.5 90.0 81.9 Satisfaction 78.4 80.0 with Democracy 68.6 70.0 66.6 65.4 61.4 58.9 60.0 Percentage 56.5 53.8 49.7 50.0 47.5 47.0 Perceive full 45.0 democracy or democracy 40.0 with minor problems 30.0 20.0 10.0 Taiwan Korea Philippines Mongolia Thailand Indonesia Singapore

Change in Satisfaction and Perception of Democracy in Taiwan 2001-2010 (Three waves of Asian Barometer) 75 70 68.6 Satisfaction 65 61.4 Percentage % 60 56.5 55 Substantial 50.2 50 Democracy(Perc eption of 47.9 Democracy) 45 40 2001 2005 2010 Time Period

Liberal Democratic vs. Traditional Authoritarian Values (Disagree = Democratic) 139. Women should not be involved in politics as much as men. 141. Government leaders are like the head of a family; we should all follow their decisions. 142. The government should decide whether certain ideas should be allowed to be discussed in society. 143. Harmony of the community will be disrupted if people organize lots of groups. 144. When judges decide important cases, they should accept the view of the executive branch. 145. If the government is constantly checked [i.e. monitored and supervised] by the legislature, it cannot possibly accomplish great things.

Trends in Democratic Attitudes in Taiwan Disagree: The government 100.0 should decide whether certain ideas should be allowed to be discussed in 90.0 society. 80.0 Disagree: Harmony of the 72.1 71.5 70.0 community will be disrupted if people organize lots of 65.0 groups. Percentage % 60.0 60.2 60.2 60.0 60.0 57.0 57.0 56.9 55.0 53.7 53.0 50.0 49.0 49.0 47.0 47.0 45.0 Disagree: When judges 43.5 43.0 43.0 42.0 decide important cases, 40.0 38.9 38.0 38.0 they should accept the view 37.3 37.0 36.0 34.2 of the executive branch. 34.0 30.0 25.0 24.7 20.0 Disagree: If the government is constantly checked [i.e. 10.0 monitored and supervised] by the legislature, it cannot possibly accomplish great 0.0 things. 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 2001 2005 2010

Trends in Democratic Attitudes in Taiwan 90.0 80.0 70.0 63.8 61.0 60.2 60.0 56.8 59.2 Percentage % Mean of 53.5 52.8 The Six 50.0 Indicators 45.7 of 40.0 Democratic Attitudes 30.0 20.0 10.0 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 2001 2005 2010 Time Period

Trust in Democratic Institutions 2010-2011 Asian Barometer III

Change in Institutional Trust in Taiwan, 2001-2010 60.0 52.5 52.0 50.0 48.3 40.9 40.0 33.0 Percentage % The Court 31.2 29.7 30.0 Political Parties 25.2 Parliament 22.0 Civil Service 19.8 19.5 19.1 20.0 16.2 Newspapers 15.5 14.1 10.0 0.0 2001 2005 2010 Time Period

Trends in Institutional Trust 70.0 60.0 52.5 52.0 The Court 50.0 48.3 Party and Percentage % 40.9 Parliament 40.0 35.3 35.7 Civil Service 33.2 33.0 30.0 29.7 31.2 Newspapers 25.2 22.0 20.0 10.0 2001 2005 2010

Conclusion: Does Taiwan Have a Democratic Culture? • No desire for any authoritarian option— emphatic rejection of authoritarianism • Substantial but uneven support for democracy • Weak “diffuse system support”—people in Taiwan are not universally and effusively “proud” of their system • Growth of liberal values • Relatively low trust in political institutions: People in Taiwan are “skeptical democrats”