The Quest for Good Governance: Taiwan’s Fight Against Corruption

In Taiwan, the legal definition of what constitutes “corrupt” behavior and legal changes is now clearer than ever. Moreover, since the change in ruling parties, judicial independence has been guaranteed and anti-corruption agencies have been strengthened considerably. Although there is still corruption and that the institutional configuration of Taiwan’s anti-corruption agencies is far from optimum, these are major achievements. The present report explains these achievements by tracing the interplay between agency and institutions at two turning points in Taiwan’s history, democratization and the change in ruling parties, in bringing about Taiwan’s anti-corruption reforms.