Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) and University Chair Professor of Political Science (adjunct) at the National Chengchi University (Taiwan).
How have Taiwan and New Zealand been able to effectively manage the COVID-19 crisis, while other ... more How have Taiwan and New Zealand been able to effectively manage the COVID-19 crisis, while other countries have done poorly? This essay argues that Taiwan's and New Zealand's adroit responses to and management of the pandemic crisis can be attributed to two critical factors-political leadership and political communication. The study offers a theoretical framework based on issue definition, suggesting that the leaderships' ability to move and control the rhetoric by contracting the issue space as well as the leaderships' effective communication of the preferred narrative are significant factors in these two countries' effective pandemic responses.
As political scientists start applying the complex-system approach to study party politics and as... more As political scientists start applying the complex-system approach to study party politics and as business scholars start to apply communication theories to study deinstitutionalization, we prospect a new possibility to study and explain politics within a political party. This study employs a systematically collected field observation data to evaluate Clemente and Roulet’s (2015) “the spiral of deinstitutionalization” framework. Based on analysis of news events and internal reports within Kuomintang from April 20 to October 17, 2015, we believe that this framework facilitates explanation about how the decision of nominating Hung Hsiu-Chu as the party’s first female presidential candidate was replaced three months before the Election Day. We interpret the whole story and provide details that contribute to enriching the framework for future organizational and political party research.
This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presiden... more This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Using the theoretical framework of alliance institutionalisation, we identified several factors that can determine the strength of alliances and security partnerships. Applying this framework, we suggest that because of deep alliance institutionalisation, the security partnership between the Philippines and the United States is actually quite resilient despite President Duterte’s position on this issue.
The main research goal of this paper is to empirically assess the state of US currency power rela... more The main research goal of this paper is to empirically assess the state of US currency power relative to its main rivals in the period between 2005 and 2018. The most novel aspect of our inquiry is the design of three new composite indices called: Monetary Capability Index (MCI), Quality of Governance Index (QGI) and Currency Internationalization Index (CII). We argue that those indices are indispensable in an attempt to empirically measure the concept of currency power, both its underlying material and non-material resources, as well as the degree of their effective exploatation. Based on the conducted analysis it is visible that material resources are a necessary but not sufficient condition to wield and exert currency power which we proxy by currency internationalization. In that regard quality of governance remains indispensable to this effort. Our measurement shows that US currency power remains unshattered by the global financial crisis (GFC) and US dollar is still placed firm...
The January 2016 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan produced a dramatic and unprece... more The January 2016 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan produced a dramatic and unprecedented victory for the Democratic Progressive Party over its long-time rival, the Kuomintang. The party had never had a parliamentary majority before 2016. The elections indicated the potential for fundamental change in Taiwan’s party system. This is what political scientists call a critical realigning election. The problem with identifying these elections, such as the 1896 and 1932 ones in the United States, is that we can only be sure of such an interpretation after a significant amount of time has passed. Still, some of the changes in Taiwan are fundamental enough to make such an evaluation worthwhile. We summarize realigning elections; discuss the factors that may lead to a change in the partisan balance; and describe the growing role of protest parties and social movements in Taiwan politics.
Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 2016
Our assumptions about the nature and conduct of contemporary international politics deeply impact... more Our assumptions about the nature and conduct of contemporary international politics deeply impact how we view maritime disputes plaguing the East and South China Seas. In this article, our analysis of the push and pull factors that influence the extent and possible resolution of maritime disputes in East Asia reveals that war is neither opposed in principle nor completely forbidden as an alternative. Amid heightening maritime tensions in the region, we argue that the underlying forces sustaining complex interdependence are what prevent rival states from engaging into a realist-inspired, zero-sum warfare. However, this is not to suggest that economic interdependence creates an absolute power that completely eradicates these flashpoints, and neither do we imply that it faithfully reflects East Asia’s maritime political reality. Although East Asian countries (particularly the more powerful ones) may think that open war can be justified, as a matter of practical utility, avoiding it is ...
This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presiden... more This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Using the theoretical framework of alliance institutionalisation, we identified several factors that can determine the strength of alliances and security partnerships. Applying this framework, we suggest that because of deep alliance institutionalisation, the security partnership between the Philippines and the United States is actually quite resilient despite President Duterte's position on this issue.
Institutionalist theory argues that fairly permanent economic structures and policy-making arrang... more Institutionalist theory argues that fairly permanent economic structures and policy-making arrangements create “institutions” which shape future policy-making and economic performance to a considerable extent (March and Olsen 1989; North 1990; Riker 1982). This perspective suggests that it might be valuable to look for the political institutions that evolved during Taiwan’s development which could have inhibited the country’s adaptability after the mid-1990s. From this perspective, Taiwan’s current institutional imbroglio results from a combination of a complex and somewhat indeterminate constitutional system, a long-time election system that contained some perverse incentives, and its long era of authoritarian rule. This paper, hence, seeks to provide an “institutionalist” explanation for the polarization and gridlock in Taiwan’s politics in the early 21st century.
Page 1. Can Parliament Control Independent Agencies? The Case of Elections Canada By Peter A. F... more Page 1. Can Parliament Control Independent Agencies? The Case of Elections Canada By Peter A. Ferguson and Cristine de Clercy Department of Political Science The University of Western Ontario London, Canada p.ferguson@uwo.cac.declercy@uwo.ca ...
... De Venecia, Jose (1995) 'Role of Political Parties – Experience of Lakas... more ... De Venecia, Jose (1995) 'Role of Political Parties – Experience of Lakas-NUCD-UMDP', in Leopoldo Dejillas (ed.) Role of Political Parties in Government and Society. ... New York: Palgrave.George, TJ (1980) Revolt in Mindanao: The Rise of Islam in Philippine Politics. ...
How have Taiwan and New Zealand been able to effectively manage the COVID-19 crisis, while other ... more How have Taiwan and New Zealand been able to effectively manage the COVID-19 crisis, while other countries have done poorly? This essay argues that Taiwan's and New Zealand's adroit responses to and management of the pandemic crisis can be attributed to two critical factors-political leadership and political communication. The study offers a theoretical framework based on issue definition, suggesting that the leaderships' ability to move and control the rhetoric by contracting the issue space as well as the leaderships' effective communication of the preferred narrative are significant factors in these two countries' effective pandemic responses.
As political scientists start applying the complex-system approach to study party politics and as... more As political scientists start applying the complex-system approach to study party politics and as business scholars start to apply communication theories to study deinstitutionalization, we prospect a new possibility to study and explain politics within a political party. This study employs a systematically collected field observation data to evaluate Clemente and Roulet’s (2015) “the spiral of deinstitutionalization” framework. Based on analysis of news events and internal reports within Kuomintang from April 20 to October 17, 2015, we believe that this framework facilitates explanation about how the decision of nominating Hung Hsiu-Chu as the party’s first female presidential candidate was replaced three months before the Election Day. We interpret the whole story and provide details that contribute to enriching the framework for future organizational and political party research.
This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presiden... more This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Using the theoretical framework of alliance institutionalisation, we identified several factors that can determine the strength of alliances and security partnerships. Applying this framework, we suggest that because of deep alliance institutionalisation, the security partnership between the Philippines and the United States is actually quite resilient despite President Duterte’s position on this issue.
The main research goal of this paper is to empirically assess the state of US currency power rela... more The main research goal of this paper is to empirically assess the state of US currency power relative to its main rivals in the period between 2005 and 2018. The most novel aspect of our inquiry is the design of three new composite indices called: Monetary Capability Index (MCI), Quality of Governance Index (QGI) and Currency Internationalization Index (CII). We argue that those indices are indispensable in an attempt to empirically measure the concept of currency power, both its underlying material and non-material resources, as well as the degree of their effective exploatation. Based on the conducted analysis it is visible that material resources are a necessary but not sufficient condition to wield and exert currency power which we proxy by currency internationalization. In that regard quality of governance remains indispensable to this effort. Our measurement shows that US currency power remains unshattered by the global financial crisis (GFC) and US dollar is still placed firm...
The January 2016 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan produced a dramatic and unprece... more The January 2016 presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan produced a dramatic and unprecedented victory for the Democratic Progressive Party over its long-time rival, the Kuomintang. The party had never had a parliamentary majority before 2016. The elections indicated the potential for fundamental change in Taiwan’s party system. This is what political scientists call a critical realigning election. The problem with identifying these elections, such as the 1896 and 1932 ones in the United States, is that we can only be sure of such an interpretation after a significant amount of time has passed. Still, some of the changes in Taiwan are fundamental enough to make such an evaluation worthwhile. We summarize realigning elections; discuss the factors that may lead to a change in the partisan balance; and describe the growing role of protest parties and social movements in Taiwan politics.
Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 2016
Our assumptions about the nature and conduct of contemporary international politics deeply impact... more Our assumptions about the nature and conduct of contemporary international politics deeply impact how we view maritime disputes plaguing the East and South China Seas. In this article, our analysis of the push and pull factors that influence the extent and possible resolution of maritime disputes in East Asia reveals that war is neither opposed in principle nor completely forbidden as an alternative. Amid heightening maritime tensions in the region, we argue that the underlying forces sustaining complex interdependence are what prevent rival states from engaging into a realist-inspired, zero-sum warfare. However, this is not to suggest that economic interdependence creates an absolute power that completely eradicates these flashpoints, and neither do we imply that it faithfully reflects East Asia’s maritime political reality. Although East Asian countries (particularly the more powerful ones) may think that open war can be justified, as a matter of practical utility, avoiding it is ...
This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presiden... more This paper examines the security partnership of the United States-Philippines during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. Using the theoretical framework of alliance institutionalisation, we identified several factors that can determine the strength of alliances and security partnerships. Applying this framework, we suggest that because of deep alliance institutionalisation, the security partnership between the Philippines and the United States is actually quite resilient despite President Duterte's position on this issue.
Institutionalist theory argues that fairly permanent economic structures and policy-making arrang... more Institutionalist theory argues that fairly permanent economic structures and policy-making arrangements create “institutions” which shape future policy-making and economic performance to a considerable extent (March and Olsen 1989; North 1990; Riker 1982). This perspective suggests that it might be valuable to look for the political institutions that evolved during Taiwan’s development which could have inhibited the country’s adaptability after the mid-1990s. From this perspective, Taiwan’s current institutional imbroglio results from a combination of a complex and somewhat indeterminate constitutional system, a long-time election system that contained some perverse incentives, and its long era of authoritarian rule. This paper, hence, seeks to provide an “institutionalist” explanation for the polarization and gridlock in Taiwan’s politics in the early 21st century.
Page 1. Can Parliament Control Independent Agencies? The Case of Elections Canada By Peter A. F... more Page 1. Can Parliament Control Independent Agencies? The Case of Elections Canada By Peter A. Ferguson and Cristine de Clercy Department of Political Science The University of Western Ontario London, Canada p.ferguson@uwo.cac.declercy@uwo.ca ...
... De Venecia, Jose (1995) 'Role of Political Parties – Experience of Lakas... more ... De Venecia, Jose (1995) 'Role of Political Parties – Experience of Lakas-NUCD-UMDP', in Leopoldo Dejillas (ed.) Role of Political Parties in Government and Society. ... New York: Palgrave.George, TJ (1980) Revolt in Mindanao: The Rise of Islam in Philippine Politics. ...
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