[[alternative]]A Study of the Development of Cross-Strait Relations And the Enactment of Plebiscite Laws

[[abstract]]A Study of the Development of Cross-Strait Relations And the Enactment of Plebiscite Laws Abstract The enactment of plebiscite laws is the most critical mechanism for a democratic society to exercise the sovereign right of its people. With the direct involvement of its people, a plebiscite system reinforces the idea of participatory democracy and addresses, corrects some of the flaws embedded in the practice of democracy through representation. The constitution of the Republic of China bestows upon its people the right to institute laws through initiative and referendum, with no direct mention of the term “plebiscite”. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to point out that through initiative and referendum, a plebiscite system is actually in place, and the very spirit of a plebiscite system is fully captured therein. As manifested in the constitution: “the sovereign power of the Republic of China resides in and belongs to all its people”, and therefore, the enactment and effectuation of plebiscite laws allow Taiwan to advance into a new frontier of participatory democracy; it also gets Taiwan on the same track with rest of the democratic world; further, the sweeter fruit of a more democratic Taiwan may become the and glory and hope shared and cherished by Chinese everywhere, and eventually may result in a freer Mainland China and bring peace much longed-for by people in both sides of the strait. To enact and effectuate plebiscite laws, however, means Taiwan must face and solve some foreseeable and yet inevitable difficulties. Due to ideological differences, Taiwan and mainland have made different choices and wide discrepancies in political, economic, societal situations have made the cross-strait relations confrontational. To Maintain its sovereignty, Taiwan needs the help form the United States of America. Consequently, Taiwan, The Mainland, and the United States form an interactive triangle, and the cross-strait relation is not linear but triangular. Any subtle change in the relations between the United States and the Mainland not only may bring great fluctuations to the cross-strait relation but also result in great societal, political, and economic consequences for the people in Taiwan. As a result, the decisions of the enactment and effectuation of plebiscite laws must be made within the frame of reference of the Taiwan-the U. S.-mainland triangle. The internal environments represent even greater challenges for both the ruling and the opposing parties in Tawan. The two sides have contradicting visions and expectations for Taiwan’s tomorrow, and the society is becoming more chaotic and less tolerant to the expression of opposing views. Without compromises and reconciliations between the two camps, a plebiscite system may become a device for the stronger to suppress the different opinions from the weaker. As such, there will be no room for a plebiscite system to work effectively and properly perform its function. The current study will closely examine the internal, external environmental factors that may have direct or indirect impacts on the enactment and effectuation of plebiscite laws. Further, this research will propose tentative solutions to correct possible imperfections of plebiscite laws in the days to come. Key Word: Plebiscite; Initiative; Referendum; Direct Democracy; Popular Sovereignty; Cross-Strait Relations; Cross-Strait Policy.