The good, the bad and the ugly: Public opinion polling in Taiwan

Lars Willnat, Ven Hwei Lo, Annette Aw

Research output: Chapter in Book/Entry/PoemChapter

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The development of public opinion polling in Taiwan is closely linked to the democratization process that started in the late 1980s. The lifting of martial law in 1987 not only allowed pollsters to work more freely, but also enabled Taiwan’s media to grow and develop an appetite for public opinion data. However, decades of one-party rule by the Kuomintang (KMT, the Nationalist Party) severely stunted the development of polling in Taiwan. The mostly pro-government media did not criticize the authorities, and polls mainly served to document public support for official policies. As a result, polling organizations in Taiwan had to catch up with similar institutions in other industrialized nations throughout the 1990s. A general lack of experience was especially obvious in early political polls, which emerged during the 1993 elections for county magistrates and city mayors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationOpinion Polls and the Media
Subtitle of host publicationReflecting and Shaping Public Opinion
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Pages198-222
Number of pages25
ISBN (Electronic)9780230374959
ISBN (Print)9780230278899
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2012
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Social Sciences
  • General Arts and Humanities

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