The Taiwan Lobby: Image Management, Legitimation Strategy, and the US Executive Response
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Authors
Shirk, Nicholas William
Issue Date
2023
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
Chen Shui Bian , Executive Branch , Lee Teng Hui , Lobbying , Taiwan , US-Relations
Alternative Title
Abstract
How could Taiwan have an outsized influence on US foreign policy? How could the Taiwan Lobby be effective and powerful? In contrast to the conventional interest-based
approach, this thesis proposes an ideational explanation. The Taiwan Lobby can project an
image to the US Congress and American society resonating with American ideals and
ideology. Taiwan adapted its image to match the United States throughout history. The
executive branch in the United States faces a dilemma balancing between prudent foreign
policymaking and ideologically driven domestic pressures. This results in trade-offs where
the executive decides how to balance the domestic pressures with the long-term national
interest. This thesis first analyzes the historical evolution of Taiwan’s image management
in the US and Taiwan’s lobbying behaviors. It then uses two cases in the 1990’s and the
2000’s to compare and illustrate how various US administrations managed the dilemmas
and trade-offs posed by the Taiwan Lobby.