External Threats and Political Tolerance in Taiwan

Abstract

Political tolerance is a significant issue for democracies under external threats. When imposed dangers are felt by citizens of the polity, competitors for political power are likely to believe that they are engaging in political battles of a zero-sum nature, having a life or death consequence. Because Taiwan is under constant military pressure from China, it is an excellent case for an analysis of political tolerance in a democracy that is threatened by external forces. Employing recently collected survey data, this study finds that the majority of Taiwanese residents show a willingness to extend rights of citizenship to others in the polity on the most salient issue that divides them. However, the perceived threats from Beijing’s claims to the island and from the Taiwan independence movement have had negative impacts on the citizens’ level of tolerance. The finding of this study will have important policy implications for Taiwan’s young democracy and will also hold significant theoretical implications for the study of political tolerance under threats.