Clan Factions And Local Politics In Taiwan

Talking about Taiwan’s politics, in particular, Taiwan’s local politics, it is necessary tomention local factions. Taiwan’s local factions are mainly in cities and counties as spheres ofdifferent political interests, economic interests of the alliance. Throughout the ages, there area lot of books about Taiwan’s local factions, explore different aspects of the political,economic, social, and take part in the overall and case analysis. But clan factions in the localfactions are rarely mentioned. This paper aims to explore Taiwan’s clan factions, and analyzethe relationship between clan factions and local politics, especially local elections in TaoyuanCounty.In this paper, from the historical review of the existing research results, define theconcept of the clan factions, clan factions based on clan social relations, informal organizationbased on common interests, fight for political rights, it does no fixed formal organizationsystem. Then introduces Taiwan’s clan factions of formation, development, spheres ofinfluence, formation reasons, the relationship between clan factions and major political parties.And then select the most powerful clan faction forces Taoyuan County as a case analysis,through the Taoyuan County’s previous magistrate, previous speaker, the last four legislators,the last third township mayor elected by the Election tables analysis clan faction TaoyuanCounty elections.Explore clan factions in a single quota election in Taoyuan County, countymore than one places the election, the influence of township-level elections and the influenceof the strength of the analysis. Get four conclusions:One, Clan factions have the characteristics of the rise and fall of impermanence.Two, it is different from the influence of clan factions in the levels of elections.Three, it is different from the influence of clan factions in the types of elections.Four, it is different from the influence of clan factions in the periods of elections.Finally, the author suggests the possibility of the future development of Taiwan’s clanfactions. Although the clan factions’s influence in local elections weakened, but it still has agreat influence in the local politics. Because in addition to political factors, it also has socialfactors, economic factors, even has the traditional history and culture. In Taiwan, there is astrong traditional culture, and its unique social structure linked with a variety of interpersonal,unless the existence of such interpersonal social characteristics and cultural characteristics iscompletely changed, the clan factions still has its background and environment continue to exist. Clan factions will continue to use the kinship, marriage and other traditional socialnetwork and cooperation relationship with the interests of the state machinery to expand tostrengthen the structure of the faction itself network, to achieve the purpose of consolidatingforces. We can be expected: in the future, Taiwan’s clan factions will continue to exist andplay a complex influence.