UC Spark

Professor Alex Tan

School of Social and Political Sciences; Political Science

Phone: +64 3 364 2987 ext. 7536
 Office: Locke Building (English) 610b

Fields of Research

  • Asian Politics and International Relations
  • European Politics
  • China-Taiwan Relations & Taiwan Politics
  • Political Economy of Growth, Development, and Finance
  • Political Parties, Elections, and Political Participation
  • Political Science Research Methods

Researcher Summary

Research interests include political parties and elections, politics of economic development and reform, Asian politics, Taiwan politics, West European politics and research methodology.

Subject Area: Disciplines

Future Research

  • Experimental studies of coalition formations
  • Comparative studies of political parties and participation in New Zealand and Taiwan
  • Simulation studies of electoral system change in New Zealand
  • Modelling East Asian regional security framework
  • Impact of EU on national party systems in Europe

Key Methodologies

  • Quantitative methods
  • Experimental methods
  • Comparative historical analysis
  • Mixed method analysis

Affiliations

Research Service

  • Series Editor, Ashgate Publishing's Series on Paradigms from Asian Politics (2010-present)
  • Associate Director, New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre (2009-present)
  • Editor, International Studies Perspectives (2009-present)

Publications


Authored Book
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2011) Taiwan's Political Economy: Meeting Challenges, Pursuing Progress. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers. 203pp.
  • Tan, A.C. (2000) Members, Organization and Performance: An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Party Membership Size. Aldershot: Ashgate. 99.
Edited Book
  • Huang, X., Tan, A.C. and Bandyopadhyay, S. (Ed.) (2011) China, India and the End of Development Models. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 320pp.
  • Brown, S., Clark, C., Takeuchi, H. and Tan, A. (Ed.) (2009) Taiwan at a Turning Point. Baltimore: University of Maryland School of Law.
  • Horowitz, S., Heo, U. and Tan, A.C. (Ed.) (2007) Identity and Change in East Asian Conflicts: The Cases of China, Taiwan, and the Koreas. New York: Palgrave-Macmillan. 256. http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230603134.
  • Tan, A.C., Chan, S. and Jillson, C.C. (Ed.) (2001) Taiwan's National Security: Dilemmas and Opportunities. Aldershot: Ashgate.
Journal Article
  • Manacsa, R.C. and Tan, A.C. (2012) "Strong republic" sidetracked: Oligarchic dynamics, democratization, and economic development in the Philippines. Korea Observer 43(1): 47-88.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2012) Taiwan's Increasingly Boxed-in Economy: Economic Performance and Democratization. Korea Observer 43(1): 113-144.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2012) The Paradoxes in Taiwan's 'Two-Level Game' Concerning Cross-Strait Relations. American Journal of Chinese Studies 19(1)
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2010) Managing Development in Taiwan: Implications for Developmental State Theory. International Journal of Development Management 1(1): 33-50.
  • Tan, A.C. and Ando, T. (2010) Prospects and Challenges of an East Asian Regional Security Framework: Veto Players and Winsets. Studies in International Relations 31(1): 43-58.
  • Tan, A.C. (2009) The Politics of Financial Reform in Taiwan: Actors, Institutions, and the Changing State. Asian Affairs: An American Review 36(4): 201-212.
  • Tan, A.C. (2005) Emerging Party Systems: An Introduction. Party Politics 11(6): 651-653.
  • Manacsa, R.C. and Tan, A.C. (2005) Manufacturing Parties: Re-examining the Transient Nature of Philippine Political Parties. Party Politics 11(6): 748-765.
  • Tan, A.C. and Wu, J-D. (2005) The presidential election in Taiwan, March 2004. Electoral Studies 24(3): 519-524.
  • Horowitz, S. and Tan, A.C. (2005) The Strategic Logic of Taiwanization. World Affairs 168(2): 87-95.
  • Wu, J.D. and Tan, A.C. (2005) To Vote or Not to Vote? An Exploratory Analysis of the 2004 Presidential Election and the Referenda (in Chinese). Taiwan Democracy Quarterly 2(4): 67-98. http://www.tfd.org.tw/HTML/0600.html.
  • Harmel, R. and Tan, A.C. (2003) Party actors and party change: Does factional dominance matter? European Journal of Political Research 42(3): 409-424.
  • Heo, U. and Tan, A.C. (2003) Political Choices and Economic Outcomes: A Perspective on the Differential Impact of the Financial Crisis on South Korea and Taiwan. Comparative Political Studies 36(6): 679-698.
  • Tan, A.C. (2002) The Transformation of the Kuomintang Party in Taiwan. Democratization 9(3): 149-164.
  • Bohrer, R.E. and Tan, A.C. (2000) Left turn in Europe? Reactions to austerity and the EMU. Political Research Quarterly 53(3): 575-596.
  • Tan, A.C. and Yu, T-C. (2000) The December 1998 elections in Taiwan. Electoral Studies 19(4): 621-628.
  • Tan, A.C., Ho, K., Kang, K-T. and Yu, T-C. (2000) What if We Don't Party? Political Partisanship in Taiwan and Korea in the 1990s. Journal of Asian and African Studies 35(1): 67-84.
  • Bohrer, R.E. and Tan, A.C. (1995) Balance of Power and the Korean Peninsula: Lessons from Major Power Wars. Journal of East Asian Affairs 9(1): 44-60.
  • Harmel, R., Heo, U., Tan, A.C. and Janda, K. (1995) Performance, Leadership, Factions and Party Change: An Empirical Analysis. West European Politics 18(1): 1-33.
  • Wu, S.S.G. and Tan, A.C. (1994) Cat and Mouse Game: Taiwan-Philippine Diplomacy. Issues and Studies 30(2): 74-90.
Chapter in Book
  • Tan, A.C. (2012) China and Its Neighbors: Too Close for Comfort? In K.P. Williams, S.E. Lobell, and N.G. Jesse (Ed.), Beyond Great Powers and Hegemons: Why Secondary States Support, Follow, Or Challenge: 193-206. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2010) Taiwan Enters the 21st Century: A Rude Awakening to the Costs of Success. In W-C. Lee (Ed.), Taiwan's Politics in the 21st Century: Changes and Challenges: 103-130. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.
  • Tan, A.C. (2009) The 2008 Election: The Issues. In R. Miller (Ed.), New Zealand Government and Politics (5th ed.): 354-364. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
  • Jackson, K. and Tan, A.C. (2009) The New Zealand Parliament: Changes in Executive-Legislative Relations. In M. Francis and J. Tully (Ed.), In the Public Interest: Essays in Honour of Professor Keith Jackson: 141-156. Christchurch: Canterbury University Press.
  • Tan, A.C. (2008) From State Entrepreneurs to Political Entrepreneurs: Democratization and the Politics of Financial Liberalization in Taiwan. In P. Paolino and J. Meernik (Ed.), Democratization in Taiwan: Challenges in Transformation: 153-166. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Company.
  • Horowitz, S., Heo, U. and Tan, A.C. (2007) Democratization and National Identity in the China-Taiwan and Korean Conflicts. In S. Horowitz, U. Heo and A.C. Tan (Ed.), Identity and Change in East Asian Conflicts: The Cases of China, Taiwan, and the Koreas: 1-26. New York: Palgrave-Macmillan.
  • Horowitz, S. and Tan, A.C. (2007) Rising China versus Estranged Taiwan. In S. Horowitz, U. Heo and A.C. Tan (Ed.), Identity and Change in East Asian Conflicts: The Cases of China, Taiwan, and the Koreas: 115-130. New York: Palgrave-Macmillan.
Conference Contribution - Full conference paper
  • Ho, K. and Tan, A.C. (2012) A structural analysis of social network and political capital in Democratic Taiwan. Taipei, Taiwan: The Maturing of Taiwan Democracy: Findings and Insights from the 2012 TEDS Survey, 3-4 Nov 2012.
  • Wu, C-L. and Tan, A.C. (2012) Manifestos in a consolidating democracy: The case of Taiwan. New Orleans, LA, USA: Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA), 30 Aug-2 Sep 2012.
  • Tan, A.C. (2011) China and its Neighbors: Too Close for Comfort? Montreal, Canada: International Studies Association Annual Convention 2011, 16-19 Mar 2011.
  • Tan, A.C. and Clark, C. (2011) Democratic Politics, Institutional Complexities and Cross-Strait Relations. Ljubljana, Slovenia: 8th Annual Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS), 12-14 May 2011.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2011) Political Gridlock as a Result of an Institutional Imbroglio in Taiwan. Honolulu, HI, USA: Association for Asian Studies and International Convention of Asia Scholars Joint Conference (AAS-ICAS), 31 Mar-3 Apr 2011.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2011) Political Polarization in Taiwan and the United States: A Growing Challenge to Catch-all Parties? Seattle, WA, USA: 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA), 1-4 Sep 2011. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1903019.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2011) The Paradoxes in Taiwan's "Two-Level Game" Concerning Cross-Strait Relations. Philadelphia, PA, USA: 53rd Annual Conference of the American Association for Chinese Studies, 14-16 Oct 2011.
  • Liu, F.C-S., Chiu, A.S-Y. and Tan, A.C. (2011) The Pattern of Partisan Defection in the 2010 Mayoral Election. Taipei, Taiwan: 2011 International Conference on Taiwan Election and Democratization Study: Cities Mayoral Elections, 3-4 Dec 2011.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2010) Polarization, Perverse Political Strategies, and the Problems of Responding to "Hard Times" in Taiwan. Washington, DC, USA: 2010 American Political Studies Association (APSA) Annual Meeting, 2-5 Sep 2010.
  • Clark, C. and Tan, A.C. (2010) Taiwan's Increasingly Boxed-In Economy. Winston-Salem, NC, USA: 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Association of Chinese Studies, 15-17 Oct 2011.
  • Huang, C., Tan, A.C., Tsai, C.H. and Yu, C.H. (2009) Issues and Voting Choices in Taiwan's Local Elections: A Case Study of the Taipei Mayor Elections, 1994-2006. Toronto, Canada: American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting & Exhibition, 3-6 Sep 2009.
  • Harmel, R. and Tan, A.C. (2009) One-Party Rule or Multi-Party Competition?: Chinese Attitudes Toward Party Systems Alternatives. Toronto, Canada: American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting & Exhibition, 3-6 Sep 2009.
  • Ho, K. and Tan, A.C. (2009) Political Capital and Democratic Society in Taiwan. Taipei, Taiwan: 9th TEDS International Conference, 22-23 May 2009.
  • Tan, A. (2009) Politics of Financial Reform in Taiwan: Actors, Institutions and the Changing State. Dallas, TX, USA: The Future of US-Taiwan-China Relations, 16-17 Apr 2009.
  • Tan, A.C. (2008) Competing Nationalism and China's Emergence: Implications to Regional Politics. Dallas, TX, USA: Japan's New Nationalism, 31 Jan-1 Feb 2008.
  • Tan, A.C. (2008) Young people and political participation: A comparative study of New Zealand and Taiwan. Chicago, IL, USA: 2008 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, 3-6 Apr 2008.
  • Jackson, K. and Tan, A.C. (2006) Changes in the Relationship of the Executive and Legislature: The Case of New Zealand. Taipei, Taiwan: International Conference on "Political Center or Periphery: Legislatures & Parliaments in the 21st Century", 7-8 Jul 2006.
  • Tan, A.C. and Ho, K. (2006) Conventional and Unconventional Political Participation: The Cases of Taiwan and New Zealand. Taipei, Taiwan: International Conference on Taiwan's Election and Democratization Study 2006 (TEDS), 21 Oct 2006.
  • Ho, K. and Tan, A.C. (2006) Disentangling Power in the Electorate: Social Network, Political Efficacy, and Political Actions in Taiwan Elections. Philadelphia, PA, USA: 2006 American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting: Power Reconsidered, 31 Aug-3 Sep 2006.
  • Bohrer, R.E. and Tan, A.C. (2006) Shifting Allegiances, Volatile Electorates and Scarcity in Europe. Chicago, IL, USA: 64th Annual National Conference of the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA), 20-23 Apr 2006.
  • Tan, A.C. (2005) Free Trade for Small States: Institutions, Coalitions, and Global Economics. Mishima, Japan: Symposium on Economic Partnership in Asia-Pacific Region: Present Conditions and Prospects, 21-22 Nov 2005.
  • Tan, A. (2005) From State Entrepreneurs to Political Entrepreneurs: Democratization and the Politics of Financial Liberalization in Taiwan. University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA: Emerging Democracies and Democratic Values: The Experiences of Taiwan and East Asia, 27-28 Aug 2005. http://www.psci.unt.edu/Taiwanconference.htm.
  • Horowitz, S. and Tan, A.C. (2005) Identity, Politics, and Strategy in the China-Taiwan Stand-Off: Current and Future Scenarios. Honolulu, HI, USA: 46th Annual International Studies Association (ISA) Convention - Dynamics of World Politics: Capacity, Preferences and Leadership, 1-5 Mar 2005. http://www.isanet.org/hawaii/PrelimProgram2005.pdf.
  • Yu, T.C., Chen, L.K., Ho, K. and Tan, A.C. (2005) Is China an Upcoming Threat or a Peaceful Ascendance? The Determining Factor of Taiwan in Hegemonic Power Transition. Washington, DC, USA: American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, 1-4 Sep 2005.
  • Horowitz, S. and Tan, A.C. (2005) National Identity, Strategy and China-Taiwan Relations. Honolulu, HI, USA: International Studies Association Annual Meeting, 2-6 Mar 2005.
  • Tan, A.C. (2005) Plus ça Change: Continuity and Change in Taiwan’s Party System. Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan Election and Democratization Studies Legislative Studies Conference, 11-13 Nov 2005. http://www.sinica.edu.tw/as/weekly/94/1045/1045.doc.
  • Wu, J-D. and Tan, A.C. (2005) To Vote or Not to Vote, That Is the Question: An Exploratory Analysis of the Presidential and Referenda Vote in Taiwan. Taipei, Taiwan: International Conference on Taiwan's Election and Democratization Study, 21-22 May 2005. http://www.psci.unt.edu/bulletin905.htm.
  • Tan, A.C. and Kang, S. (2004) Democratization, Winsets, and Financial Liberalization: An Examination of Financial Policy-Making in Korea and Taiwan. Chicago, IL, USA: 61st Annual Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) National Conference, 3-6 Apr 2004. http://www.indiana.edu/~mpsa/conferences/2003finalprogram.pdf.
  • Ho, K.K-Y., Chen, T., Tan, A. and Yu, M.T-C. (2004) Issue Evolution and Political sophistication: Exploring a model of Voter Heterogeneity in Taiwan elections. Nankang, Taiwan: International Conference on Taiwan’s Election and Democratization Study, 25-26 Sep 2004.
  • Tan, A.C. and Schneider, C. (2002) Financial Liberalization and Reform Under Duress: The Politics of Hard Times in Taiwan. New Orleans, LA, USA: 43rd Annual International Studies Association (ISA) Convention, 24-27 Mar 2002. http://www.isanet.org/neworleans/PrelimProgram2002.pdf.
  • Ho, K., Tan, A. and Meernik, J. (2002) In a Different Voice: A Comparative Study of Political Efficacy in Taiwan and Western Democracies. Taipei, Taiwan: Taiwan Elections and Democracy Conference, 19-20 Oct 2002. http://www.psci.unt.edu/bulletin1102.htm.
Additional Publications
  • Tan, A.C., Borthwick, S. and Eade, M. (2011) Keep 'Em In or Take 'Em Out: A Simulation Analysis of the Impacts of the Changes to the New Zealand Electoral System. Seattle, WA, USA: 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, 1-4 Sep 2011.
  • Tan, A.C., Geva, N. and Bragg, B. (2010) To Join or Not to Join: An Experimental Study of Small Parties in Coalition Formation. Chicago, IL, USA: 2010 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, 22-25 Apr 2010.