Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented interest on the part of both scholars and the media in Taiwan's politics in general and its political development more specifically. John Copper's new book, Taiwan's 1991 and 1992 Non-Supplemental Elections: Reaching a Higher State of Democracy, examines Taiwan's departure from holding only supplemental elections-a practice that allowed many delegates to remain in office for years and thus called into question the competitive nature of Taiwan's electoral system-marks a new phase in Taiwan's democratization. Copper points out, though, that these elections need to be related to other factors of political development. He discusses how economic and cultural factors such as Taiwan's rapid economic growth in the '60s and '70s and the resulting urbanization of the country contributed to a political atmosphere that would allow the departure from supplemental elections.

Elites have a disproportionate impact on development outcomes. While a country's endowments constitute the deep determinates of growth, the trajectory they follow is shaped by the actions of elites. But what factors affect whether elites use their influence for individual gain or national welfare? To what extent do they see poverty as a problem? And are their actions today constrained by institutions and norms established in the past? This volume looks at case studies from South Africa to China to seek a better understanding of the dynamics behind how elites decide to engage with economic development. Approaches include economic modelling, social surveys, theoretical analysis, and program evaluation. These different methods explore the relationship between elites and development outcomes from five angles: the participation and reaction of elites to institutional creation and change, how economic changes affect elite formation and circulation, elite perceptions of national welfare, the extent to which state capacity is part of elite self-identity, and how elites interact with non-elites.