Taiwan Conference: Bilateral Ballot Boxes: U.S. Midterms, Taiwan’s Local Elections, and Policy Trajectories

Lindner Family Commons. The 2026 U.S. midterm elections and Taiwan’s 2026 local elections unfold during landmark democratic anniversaries: the United States’ semiquincentennial and the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election. These parallel milestones provide a unique lens for examining how democratic identity, institutional resilience, and cross‑Strait geopolitics shape electoral behavior in both polities. In the United States, midterm dynamics reflect heightened economic anxieties, rising consumer prices, shifting partisan narratives, and growing voter concerns over affordability and foreign policy crises, including the conflict with Iran. Simultaneously, Taiwan’s local elections occur amid intensified political competition, partisan division, heightened public and legislative debate on issues such as defense spending, and renewed attention to democratic consolidation and public trust. U.S.–Taiwan relations increasingly intersect with both electoral contexts. In Washington, bipartisan congressional resolutions reaffirm support for Taiwan’s democratic resilience and highlight growing concern over coercive pressure from the PRC. In Taiwan, cross‑Strait tensions, security and economic relations with the United States, and China’s influence operations—including AI‑driven disinformation—shape public discourse and electoral priorities. Together, these elections offer a comparative moment to assess how democratic anniversaries, geopolitical pressures, and domestic political realignments may recalibrate U.S.–Taiwan policy trajectories after 2026. To unpack these dynamics, the Sigur Center for Asian Studies will convene a two‑panel conference bringing together leading scholars and experts to assess how these elections may recalibrate U.S.–Taiwan policy trajectories, democratic narratives, and strategic priorities in the post‑2026 geopolitical landscape. Agenda: Panel I: Unpacking the U.S. Midterms Brent Christensen, Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University Herbert Chang, Assistant Professor of Quantitative Social Science, Dartmouth University Shirley Kan, Independent Specialist in Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Panel II: Situating Taiwan’s Local Elections Shelley Rigger, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty | Brown Professor of Asian Politics, Davidson College Kharis Templeman, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution Ping Li, Adjunct Lecturer & Research, University of Maryland; Research Director, FactLink Doors will open no sooner than 15 minutes before the start time. The Elliott School can coordinate with the university to reasonably accommodate most disabilities. If you need specific accommodations, please contact the Sigur Center at [email protected]. Requests should be made as soon as possible, but at least three days prior to the program to ensure accommodation.