The U.s. Congress And The Taiwan Issue (1979-2002)

The Taiwan Question is a matter of substance in Sino-U.S. relations. Its sensitivity and particularity have enhanced the complexity of our study. The U.S. Congress, being an essential branch in the U.S. political system of separation of powers, has exerted a significant influence on the foreign policies of the United States. After a careful study of the influence from the Congress on the Taiwan Question from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush, this thesis, from a perspective of the U.S. domestic politics, aims to analyze the emergence and influence of U.S. policies upon Taiwan.The Congress and the Executive represent different benefits and profits. As a result, they may have different views and scopes over foreign affairs. Members of the Congress represent the interests of voters, which should enjoy the top priority for the need of electoral politics. Various interest groups, including the Taiwan authorities, the U.S. military and industry enterprises, as well as lots of Americans of Taiwanese origin, have launched countless campaigns to influence the Congress' policies over Taiwan.The Congress and the Executive also interact and balance each other. On the one hand, the formulation of foreign policies is determined by various factors, especially by the domestic politics; on the other hand, the checks and balances have also eased the conflicts in the process of formulating foreign policies. This will consequently guarantee that the U.S. foreign policies will best serve the needs and interests of the whole nation.From Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush, Sino-U.S. relations has gone through twists and turns as well as various changes, but the study of the home politics in the United States, may possibly help us discover some regular patterns, which, to some extent, have restrained the further development of Sino-U.S. relations. This can also be proved from the perspective of the Congress and the Taiwan Question.Considering the above-mentioned points, this thesis will firstly introduce the U.S. Congress system and its connections with the President. Then, by taking the form of case studies, it aims to analyze the influence from the Congress on the Taiwan Question during different political periods involving Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.