The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic silently started in early 2020, and no one was prepared for it. Unlike the outbreak of SARS in 2002-2003, a similar coronavirus, it was less contagious than COVID-19, but tended to be more deadly. The COVID-19 virus is much more contagious with a relatively lower chance of causing death. Nevertheless, it is still one of the most dangerous viruses in human history. Studies of COVID-19 have attracted tremendous attention from academia and governments. However, they tend to focus on the fields of biology, virology, public health, and psychology instead of the politics, policies, and political attitudes related to the pandemic. Of course, it is critical to understand the nature of this virus and seek proper policy remedies to stop the pandemic and help citizens to regain their everyday lives, but how the pandemic has affected the public and their views toward politics is equally important as it will determine political outcomes in the near future. We compare the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public opinion, the dynamics of party politics in Taiwan, and some of its strategic neighbors.
Chapter 1:Vaccine Policy and Presidential Approval Ratings By: Eric Chen-hua Yu and Chi Huang Chapter 2: Government Performance and Political Trust By: Chiung-Chu, Lin Chapter 3:The Role of Partisan Opposition By: Nathan F. Batto Chapter 4:Partisan Cues and Vaccine Hesitancy By: Dennis L. C. Weng, Chia-hung Tsai, and Katherine Chen Chapter 5: Political Polarization and Attitudes toward Democracy By: Ching-Hsing Wang Chapter 6: Public Opinion toward the U.S. Vaccine Diplomacy By: George Yin, Chia-Hung Tsai, and Alastair Iain Johnston Chapter 7: COVID-19 Pandemic and Cross-Strait Relations By: Fang-Yu Chen, Austin Horng-En Wang, Charles K.S. Wu, and Yao-Yuan Yeh Chapter 8: The Effectiveness of the COVID-19 Pandemic Policy in China By: Hsuan-Yu (Shane) Lin, Charles K.S. Wu, Yao-Yuan Yeh Chapter 9: Pandemic Policy, Public Opinion, and Election in Japan By: Koji Kagotani and Masahiro Yamada Chapter 10: Identity Politics and International Relations in Australia By: Yu-Hua Chen, Chapter 11: Leadership, Public Opinion, and Party Politics in New Zealand By: Alexander C. Tan and Neel Vanvari
Chia-hung Tsai is Research Fellow at the Election Study Center, National Chengchi University, and holds a joint appointment with the Graduate Institute of East Asian Studies. Yao-Yuan Yeh is Fayez Sarofim – Cullen Trust for Higher Education Endowed Chair and Professor in International Studies at University of St. Thomas, Houston.
