9
In the case of a social welfare program, it refers to the state providing funding or facilities
to NPOs that then manage and deliver social services (Liu 2000; Wang 2005).
Ta
i
wa
n’
s
s
oc
i
a
l
we
l
f
a
r
e
pol
i
cy
f
or
me
d
a
t
a
s
pe
c
i
f
i
c
hi
s
t
or
i
c
a
l
c
onj
unc
t
ur
e
.
It is
similar to what Garon (1998) observed in Japan, where the government incorporated
activists and NGOs in order to reduce the welfare burden of the state. In Taiwan, civic
organizations advocated social rights for citizens but distrusted the state to implement
them efficiently. The state was unwilling to commit to protecting its marginalized
populations and had no fiscal budget set aside for a universal welfare program.
Elsewhere in the world, the inefficiency of the welfare state resulted in a popular
ne
w
pa
r
a
di
gm
known
a
s
t
he
“
t
hi
r
d
way
,
”
i
n
whi
c
h
we
l
f
a
r
e
pr
ogr
ams
we
r
e
ma
r
ke
t
i
z
e
d
a
nd
subcontracted out to NGOs.
3
The third way policy was eventually implemented in
Taiwan, but how it developed historically was somewhat different than in other countries.
Advocates of this policy argue that private management results in greater efficiency and
allows the government to use resources from civil society in order to cut down on its
welfare spending. However, Harris and Chou (2001) point out that in the British context,
the implementation of community care refers to decentralization of the large state
bureaucratic system; it should reduce the bureaucratic process and provide more humane,
community-o
r
i
e
nt
e
d
c
ar
e.
I
n
t
he
c
ont
e
xt
of
Ta
i
wan,
howe
ve
r
,
“
c
ommuni
t
y
c
a
r
e”
e
nde
d
up
meaning that NPOs or families would be responsible for providing social services.
Wang (2005) shows how this historical process has affected care for elderly and
disabled people in Taiwan. Starting in the late 1980s, civic organizations allied to form
groups such as the League of Enabling Associations in 1989, the League of Elde
r
s
’
3
The concept o
f
a
“
t
hi
r
d
way”
t
o
s
oc
i
a
l
de
mocr
a
c
y
wa
s
coined by Giddens (1988).
It became popular
among Taiwanese legislators working on welfare policy.
Convention