Schmitt’s Democratic Theory and Taiwan’s First Nationwide Referendums
Author: Chiun-Tseng Lee
Abstract / Chinese PDF Download
From the perspective of Carl Schmitt’s democratic theory based on his conceptof the political, this paper analyses Taiwan’s first-ever nationwide referendums heldon March 20, 2004. It concludes that the March 20 referendums have its uniquesignificance in four respects:1. The March 20 referendums were mainly aimed at confronting Taiwan’speople with mainland China’s missiles targeting Taiwan and, by means ofthis confrontation, to create the political entity of Tainwan’s people. Tosome extent, the aim was realized.2. However, on the other hand, the March 20 referendums paradoxically hadnegative effects. It deepened the existing diversity of national identitywithin Taiwan and verged on creating the internal friend-enemy distinction.3. Schmitt defined democracy as the identity of the governed and governing.To some degree, Taiwan’s democracy is imbued with the characteristic ofSchmitt’s concept of democracy. Under such condition, the March 20referendums were exploited by President Chen Shui-bian to produce theacclamation from his “people” and, through this, to reinforce the authorityof his representation of Taiwanese people (or nation).4. What the March 20 referendums expressed was “decision through ‘one’will” as Schmitt attributed to the meaning of the referendum.