本文以Easton的政治支持理論爲基礎，並結合近年來民主化的相關理論，由探索民眾對政治社群、政體、權威機關三個層次的政治支持，來瞭解台灣民主鞏固的程度。主要研究發現有三：首先，社會大眾對於以台灣與其島上人民爲政治社群疆域和成員的看法，已獲致高度共識。儘管在二○○○年政黨輪替之後，民進黨政府曾多次設定與統獨爭議或國家認同有關的議題，但是，台灣民眾過去十年間對事實台獨（而非法理台獨）的支持，並未見明顯的改變。其次，在一九九八至二○○四年的時序中，大眾對民主制度的支持在四成三到五成五之間搖擺。相較於其他第三波民主化的國家，台灣人民對民主的支持態度，有明顯偏低的趨勢。最後，民意對於權威機關的表現，則是負面多於正面的觀感；其中依法行政與立委評價兩項指標也在統計模型中，被證明與民眾的民主支持度有顯著的關聯。本文結論中指出，由於國內民意的高度共識與國際政治環境的制約，朝野政治精英暫不宜將統獨爭議等與政治社群有關的議題設定爲政策目標。相對地，如何強化政治系統內各權威機關的治理能力，可能才是進一步鞏固台灣民主政治的當務之急。
This study attempts to explore Taiwan's democratization by examining public support at three levels: political community, regime, and authority. There are several findings. First, democracy did not emerge on the island until the identity controversy of the political community was solved both at the elite and mass levels. Taiwanese have high consensus on the boundary and membership of political community over the past decade. Although the DPP government has continuously raised the independence issues since 2000, over 85% of Taiwanese people favor de facto independence, over de jure independence. Secondly, Taiwanese support for democracy was unstable during the period 1998-2004. Compared to other cases, the percentage of Taiwanese support for democracy is relatively low, standing at between 43% and 55%. Thirdly, most Taiwanese are unsatisfied with the performance of political authority. The outputs of executive and legislative branches in particular exert significant influence on public support for democracy. Apparently, the quality of democratic governance is highly related to the consolidation of Taiwanese democracy. In conclusion, this study suggests that the political elite should pay more attention to institutional performance, instead of the independence issues.
