【研究發現】 本研究利用Berry&Berry(2007)的架構並透過Logit迴歸分析及線型迴歸分析方法，探究上述問題獲得下列重要發現與意涵：第一，影響鄉鎮市願意採用生育補助政策的因素為「學習因素」及「競爭因素」；第二，影響鄉鎮市採用生育補助政策的時間長短則是受到「壓力因素」；第三，生育補助政策的擴散方式並未符合S型的態樣，大多數的鄉鎮市都集中在後期才開始採用生育補助政策；第四，生育補助政策在擴散的過程中，各個鄉鎮市的補助方式是有些許的差異，然而受限於改變的幅度太小無法進行有效的歸納及分類，但仍打破政策在擴散的過程中是一成不變的論點。 Diffusion research has been widely incorporated into various disciplines recently. The main question among practitioners and scholars on this topic is how policies spread from one place to another. Although this has been the focus for several decades, it still leaves many unclear parts. Especially in Taiwan, only a few attentions have been paid to policy diffusion among local governments. The main purpose of this thesis is to understand the factors affecting the spread of childbirth subsidy policy in Taiwan’s local governments. The research questions fall into three categories: first, what are the key factors affecting township government’s adoption of childbirth subsidy policy? Second, what are the key factors affecting township government’s consecutive use of childbirth subsidy policy? Third, since the diffusion theory argues that policy diffusion mainly follows the s-curve route, would childbirth subsidy policy conform to the S-curve in diffusion process? The results of data analysis indicated that, firstly, factors affecting township government’s adoption of childbirth subsidy policy are “learning” and “competition”. Secondly, factor influencing township government’s consecutive use of childbirth subsidy policy is “pressure”. Finally, the diffusion pattern of childbirth subsidy policy is not a S-curve. Most township governments adopted the childbirth subsidy policy in the later period. In the concluding chapter, several research and policy suggestions have been raised according to these findings.
