從美國國會外交分權探討台灣旅行法

2018年春季，美國總統Donald Trump簽署《台灣旅行法》(Taiwan Travel Act)，宣告該法生效，該法的通過解禁美台之間的高官互訪，過去美台高官互訪的限制是美方因中共政府的壓力而自我設限，因此台旅法的通過也反映了美國政府對中政策的細微改變。本篇論文透過探討美國憲法賦予美國國會的外交分權，透過宏觀與微觀層次來檢視台灣旅行法通過之脈絡，同時分析國會外交分權對美、台非官方關係的影響，本文共分五章，第一章緒論初步討論美國國會的外交分權，將美國國會外交分權分為立法行為與非立法行為，非立法行為下又再細分為美國國會的機構行為與國會議員個人的代表行為，在後續的章節以此框架歸納美國國會的外交分權各種國會外交行為對美台關係的影響。第二章則採宏觀的方式分別探討George W. Bush政府與Barack Obama政府下，美台關係16年內的進程，並在每一任總統的任期內，討論該屆國會對美台關係之影響，同時分析府會之間合作抑或是制衡的關係。論文的後半部分別討論《台灣旅行法》以及美國國會內的台灣連線，台灣旅行法是立法行為的展現，立法行為改變現狀不易，所以包羅眾多項目的法案或者造成重大現狀改變的法案皆不易通過，美國國會議員會採以技術性的方式增加立法成功的機率，包含將大型法案切割為小型法案，如台灣旅行法，而這種以《台灣關係法》(Taiwan Relation Act)為框架並透過小型立法補充的模式逐漸變成友台法案的立法模式。透過外交分權中的議員個人代表行為探討，台灣連線議員可以透過參訪台灣、連署信件向行政部門施壓、議場中辯論宣揚台灣的重要性、媒體運用以及傳承、散播友台精神予新任議員等方式加強台灣與美國的關係。

關鍵字

台灣旅行法；美國國會外交分權；台灣連線；非官方關係；高層互訪

並列摘要

Abstract In spring of 2018, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed a bill lifting the self-imposed restrictions on the visits of high-level officials between the United States and Taiwan (ROC) – the Taiwan Travel Act (TTA). Meanwhile, the enactment of the TTA also means the policy of the United States toward China has changed slightly. This thesis focuses on both the international level and congressional behavior, the latter known as legislative diplomacy. Then, this thesis, containing five chapters, digs into the TTA and U.S.-Taiwan relations by this two-level approach. The first chapter deals with Congressional behavior including legislative behavior such as bill enactment and non-legislative behavior such as institutional behavior and Congressmen’s personal behavior. The second chapter explores the history of U.S.-Taiwan relations, and evaluates in general the interaction, conflict, and cooperation between the U.S. legislative branch and the administrative departments from 2001 to 2016. The rest of the thesis concentrates on the enactment process of the TTA and the Congressional Taiwan Caucus (CTC). For enactment, it’s difficult to change a political status quo, so the bill containing several subjects will be separated into several smaller bills. Smaller bills like TTA are easier to pass. This bill enactment pattern usually adds new rules or clarifies the ambiguous ones under Taiwan Relation Act. Then, this thesis analyzes the driving forces making these Congress members decide to help Taiwan: the CTC assists Taiwan in promoting U.S.-Taiwan relations by introducing these bills, collecting petition letters to U.S. president, debating over the contents, using social media to pressure the U.S. government, and overspelling the idea of promoting Taiwan’s international status to other Congressional members.