Political System Change and Electoral Behavior: An Analysis of Voting Behavior in the 1998 Legislative Yuan Election

Huo-yan Shyu and Dr. Nai-de Wu, research fellows from Academia Sinica, Prof. Yung-tai Hung, Dr.

Jih-wen Lin, an assistant research fellow Academia Sinica, Director of the Election Study Center at National Chengchi University, Prof. Ming-tong Chen from the NTU Graduate Institute of Three Principles of the People (San-Min-Chu-I) , associate Prof. Shung-lian Liang from the Deparment of Public Policy and Administration at National Chi-Nan University, and Prof.

Ying-lung Yu , Shiow-duan Hwang, from the Department of Political Science at Soochow University also assisted on the project. The purpose of this project was to develop a better understanding of the relationship between the voting behavior of the electorate and specific characteristics of the political system. Towards this end, we conducted an empirical study of Taiwan\'s 1998 Legislative Yuan Election campaigns.

Our study investigated several different research questions. At first, we analyzed the relationship between the socioeconomic background of voters. We also investigated the origins of \"party preference\", including the interviewer\'s accomplished images of particular party and the electorates\' intensity of party identity.

In addition, we researched if there is the correlation between ethnic－ national identity and voting behavior. This measurement is based on the voters\' preference of the two extremities of the political spectrum. The question regarding the ethnic identity is to ask the interviewers if they are \"Taiwanese\" or \"Chinese\", and the further question about the nation identity is whether the voters supported \"Taiwanese independence \"or \" Chinese renification\".

Next, we not only observed the political culture and the electorates\' political attitude, but also the voters\' evaluation for the democracy frame was concerned. The phenomenon of the \"Lee Teng-hui Complex\" was another major topic considered in this study. We measured the effects of the \'Lee Teng-hui Complex\' using political-psychological models of voting behavior, and used our findings to analyze the relationship between crowd psychology and voting behavior.

Then we emphasis on the mass media－use strategy, Political advertise performance and effect if they was ones of the main reasons corresponded to the voting behavior. Moreover, we retrospect the voting behavior during those years and ho did the electorates comment upon this campaign\'s process and result. The latter part of this survey is to observe the voter\'s standpoint about the significant issues, such as independence v.s reunification, diplomacy strategy, the right to self-determination, the commercial contacts between Mainland China and Taiwan, the constitution revision, and so on .The 7th segment of this research project is to gather the interviewers\' opinions of the voting affairs and electoral district; following the 8th segment: the observation for the interviewers\' social network.

The last part of the survey is the population variable, includes the interviewers\' social position, vocation, and the degree of family incomes。 We also obtained measures of the political participation, political mobilization, and the personal characteristics of candidates in our study. Finally, we measured the positions of voters on some special issues such as the politics of money, the problem that none of the three parties can win half of the seats, the grand coalition cabinet, and the split of the KMT.

Our research methodology utilized the multiple-stage sampling method, which included the principles of probabilities proportional to size (PPS), stratified sampling, and systematic sampling. We designed our questionnaire to include both structured and open-ended questions; The design of open- ended questions mainly focuses on the motivation of voters\' choices on candidates which is based on different political positions or ideals, and the assistance of people\'s relationship.