Abstract
Threats, Alliances, and Electorates: The Politics of Defense Policy in Taiwan
Kharis Templeman, Stanford UniversityTaiwan is on the front lines of Chinese efforts to expand influence through the use of both hard and “sharp” power capabilities. It is also diplomatically isolated and increasingly dependent on the United States for its security, even as the United States’ hard-power advantage over the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has eroded in the western Pacific. In the face of this growing existential threat, Taiwan’s current security posture and attempted countermeasures are puzzling: defense spending remains a modest 2% of GDP, the commitment to fielding a high-end conventional military force is increasingly unsustainable and ineffective, and ending conscription and transitioning to an all-volunteer force will place the burden for responding to outside threats on a narrow slice of society. This project identifies the fundamental challenges in Taiwan’s policymaking process that have constrained its response to the rising threat from the PRC and consider ways the United States might attempt to influence this process to improve the fit between Taiwan’s challenging strategic environment and its doctrine, procurement, force posture, and training.
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