Lancaster University China Centre

“The funeral home was like his second office.” On average, a Taiwanese MP receives 31 requests a week from constituents to attend funerals. Why are voters interested in having MPs present at private funerals? Drawing on evidence from in-depth interviews and observation, this study focuses on the role of guanxi, the Chinese term for particularistic ties. Voters in a guanxi society are inclined to show off their particularistic ties with Very Important People. Since national lawmakers are figures of power, this tendency among voters keeps Taiwanese legislators exceptionally busy attending private weddings, funerals, and banquets, often at the expense of attentiveness to national policy. The study concludes that guanxi culture brings constituency focus to the fore of Taiwan’s political representation, shedding some light on the ramification of political culture on democratic consolidation.