Democracy in Tough Places: How Taiwan's Young Democracy Mature Under the China Factor
Just days before Lai Ching-te was sworn in as the president of Taiwan, disputes over the legislative reform bills in the Legislative Yuan turned into brawls between politicians and has since triggered a new wave of protest movement that many have compared to the Sunflower Movement in 2014. Meanwhile, China launched two days of large-scale military drills surrounding Taiwan to "punish" its "separatist acts." How has Taiwan's democracy weathered these internal and external challenges? What lessons can we learn from Taiwan's experience? Political scientist Dr. Maggie Shum will share her observations and experiences based on the week-long Electoral Observation Tour in Taipei organized by the Friends of Hong Kong and Macau Association and sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (Taiwan). She will assess the recent political development in Taiwan by focusing on the U.S.-China-Taiwan triangle, how Taiwanese understand and perceive their stakes in the center of the geopolitical flash point and will offer a broader discussion of the resilience of Taiwan's democracy amidst the global trend of democratic backsliding.
This event is a part of the Brock Institute for Mega Issues Education series.
Location: Jefferson Educational Society - 3207 State Street, Erie, PA 16508
Date/Time: Thursday, August 22, 7:00-8:30PM
Admission: FREE
Parking: lot behind building, State Street, 33rd Street, 32nd Street, French Street
Maggie Shum, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College. Her research interests include transnational contentious politics, social movement, and diasporas politics. Her works focus on how diasporas (re)construct their collective identity abroad, and how they navigate the dual loyalty – concerns for the homeland and their well-being in the host country, with a focus on the Hong Kong diaspora. Her academic works were published in the Journal of Asian and African Studies, Democratization, Japanese Journal of Political Science, and Local Development and Society.
