POWER TO THE PEOPLE

The core of American society lies in democracy. Democratic values are taught in schools and instilled in young children and fostered till adulthood. Modern-day China, however, is known for its communist principles that are ingrained in Chinese youth.

The bridge between these two political systems is that of the island nation of Taiwan (Republic of China). Taiwan has adopted a form of democracy that is notably different from that of the United States. Visiting the Presidential Palace in Taipei (kind of like the white house of Taiwan) greatly expanded my knowledge on the democratic system of Taiwan. Taiwan holds fair and free elections where citizens have the power to elect their President under the ROC Constitution and bestow authority to the President. Previously, troops would march down Kaitakelan Boulevard to demonstrate the authority of the head of state. Today, Taiwan's democracy has become more liberal with common people holding protests in the plaza to demonstrate that sovereignty lies within the people and call for increased democratization and social change.

Although democratic institutions exist in Taiwan, they are far from perfect. Taiwan has had a long history of protests against government actions. For instance, current President Tsai Ing-Wen is pushing for pension reforms to significantly cut retirement benefits from public sector employees. An anti-pension reform protest has been organized and is hoping to draw over 30,000 protesters (mostly military veterans) in Taipei. Since Tsai Ing-Wen's election, many protests have taken place in Taipei regarding her policies and decisions. In fact, the controversial nature of her presidency is in many ways comparable to that of U.S. President Donald Trump. Previously, she even directly called Donald Trump to congratulate him, which only worsened relations between China and Taiwan (America established diplomatic ties with Beijing in 1979 and China still claims sovereignty over Taiwan). Tsai Ing-Wen's has been a controversial figure largely due to her political stance of pro-independence and subsistent claims that Taiwan is independent from China.

Above: Police closing around protest area

Although Taiwan's form of democracy is definitely different from that of the United States, democracy has overall benefitted the development of Taiwan and its institutions. Health insurance in Taiwan is considerably better than that of the United States due to its affordability and coverage. In America, health insurance costs roughly $300 per month for the average adult and increases as you age. The American health insurance system (Obamacare) typically covers annual check-ups and hospital stays, but does not include costs such as medicine, teeth (dentist visits), eyes, nose, and many other important health care services. In Taiwan, health insurance costs roughly $20 at a flat rate for all working individuals and roughly $25 for non-working individuals. National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan covers almost all healthcare services, except specialty services such as cosmetic surgery. Furthermore, democracy has reaped many social benefits for Taiwan as well; for instance, Taiwan has recently become the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.

Above: Cute cartoon in the Presidential Palace

Above: Recent documented protests in Taiwan

To these ends, the main challenges to Taiwan's form of democracy can be summed up as the public support for democracy (democratic ideals do not run in the blood of the Taiwanese), corruption still plagues Taiwanese government and politics, party politics continue to be hindered by ethnic divisions (Mainlander vs. Taiwanese and pro-independence vs. unification), and weak rule of law (lack of president veto, etc). Ultimately, although Taiwan's version of democracy is definitely not flawless, it has overall made a positive impact on the development of Taiwan.

Above: Me pretending to be President of Taiwan