"Inspired by political anthropology and grounded theory, his work provides a truly novel approach. The investigation is based on extensive ethnographic data from election campaigns and interviews with party actors. It presents a carefully developed argument on the society’s structural politicization, highlighting the imperfect state of Taiwan’s democratic consolidation.
"Inspired by political anthropology and grounded theory, his work provides a truly novel approach. The investigation is based on extensive ethnographic data from election campaigns and interviews with party actors. It presents a carefully developed argument on the society’s structural politicization, highlighting the imperfect state of Taiwan’s democratic consolidation.
… Mattlin’s book will be of interest to any students of political science, democratization and regional studies focusing on Taiwan, the Greater China region or East Asia. It offers an in-depth analysis of structure; a suggested reading companion would be a publication on agency. This combination would provide a very comprehensive picture of Taiwan’s political development. The argument presented by Mattlin is sophisticated and grounded in thick description. It provides a new perspective on Taiwan’s transition, and will revitalize the debate on the status of its democracy."