The survey was conducted by telephone, over a random sample of 150 adults in the Taipei area. Sixty-nine percent of the respondents were in their twenties and thirties, men slightly outnumbering women.

When asked, "Do you understand the reasons for steps taken by the government (such as tearing down illegal fish hatcheries)?" only seven percent answered, "Yes, very clear." Some 31 percent said they had a general idea, but the majority responded "not very clear" or "no idea at all."

National Taiwan University Professor Ts'ao Chun-han believes that this result shows that communication between the government and the public still needs to be strengthened. "Taipei is the provisional capital," he points out, "where citizens are highly informed and particularly sensitive to government policies. Over a third of the respondents were college educated. If even they don't understand government policies, then people elsewhere are certainly even more in the dark."

Is the public content with the situation? When asked about the government's stand on land taxes, market strikes, fishponds, and other issues, nearly half of those surveyed believed the government failed to collect enough input from the public before formulating policy. Those saying it did collect enough made up just one fourth, and the rest had no opinion.

But when asked, "Is the government's process for formulating policy reasonable?" half of the respondents answered yes against less than a fourth who said no. More than one half (53 percent) replied that the government implements its policies fairly as opposed to only 29 percent who disagreed.

At first glance, the answers to these questions would seem somewhat contradictory. Professor Ts'ao says they show that despite some misgivings, the public still has a great deal of confidence in the government.

If a part of the public would be harmed by a government action, should the interests of society as a whole take precedence? Or should the minority stand up for their rights? Over two thirds of those surveyed agreed with the latter alternative. As to the means, "appealing through legal channels" and "seeking legislative representatives" earned the most support.

Who is best able to represent the will of the people? Legislators and the media received the highest support, each getting around one fourth. Only three percent answered "demonstrations," fewer than those saying "no one," who numbered seven percent.

What qualities should the ideal government possess? Nearly a third of those surveyed said "clean and honest," followed by "efficient' (23 percent), and "fair" (22 percent). "Conform to the will of the people," somewhat surprisingly, ranked fourth.

In the eyes of the public, what role should the government play? The most votes went to "a parent" (57 percent), followed by "a manager" (23 percent), and "a servant" (15 percent), seeming to show that the Chinese people are still accustomed to strong and forceful leadership.

Finally, respondents were asked to name the country whose government they admire most. The United States was the favorite, named by one fourth. Sixteen percent said Japan, and nine percent said Singapore. Britain, West Germany, and Switzerland were also mentioned. Interestingly enough, in this open-ended question, 24 percent of those asked replied "ours."

What is the most important characteristic of an ideal government?[Picture]

Who do you feel can best represent the will of the people?[Picture]

Who do you think the government should be like?[Picture]

Which nation's government do you admire the most?[Picture]