我國行政院院長辭職的政治環境—九七憲改後的觀察

本文關懷的核心是探討九七憲改以來，我國行政院院長（以下簡稱閣揆）辭職的制度性因素及非制度性因素，如何形成閣揆辭職的政治環境。本文分析十四位（共十五任）閣揆在任發生的重大政經事件，找出閣揆辭職的徵象，了解閣揆在任政治環境的轉變及辭職的政治環境。閣揆辭職的政治環境是由制度性因素與非制度性因素組成，前者包括總統有直接任免閣揆的權力、國會具有倒閣權、閣揆依釋字第 387 號及第 419 號解釋辭職；後者包括閣揆任內發生的重大政經事件、執政黨選舉的結果。閣揆在任深受政治環境的影響，本文進一步將政治環境分為內部與外部兩個層面，前者是政府結構內部政治行動者的互動，著重閣揆與總統、國會的互動關係；後者是政府結構之外的環境，著重閣揆任內推動的政策或經歷重大政經事件的影響。本文以內部矛盾和外部挑戰兩個構面，建構四種閣揆辭職的政治環境：一、穩定合作型：閣揆非在內部矛盾與外部挑戰的政治環境下辭職；二、內部矛盾型：閣揆因與總統、國會任一方關係不佳辭職；三、外部挑戰型：閣揆任內因重大違失、執政黨選舉敗選或推動爭議政策辭職；四、內外交迫型：閣揆同時遭遇內部矛盾與外部挑戰的困境辭職。本文的研究發現有四：一、閣揆容易陷入負面的政治環境，但不容易脫離負面的政治環境；二、閣揆辭職與總統身處的政治環境有關，閣揆亦會基於當時身處的政治環境，做出辭職的行動策略；三、外部挑戰型辭職的閣揆最多，內外交迫型及穩定合作型辭職的閣揆次多，顯見閣揆大多扮演總統執行長的角色，貫徹總統施政，避免與總統發生嫌隙而陷入內部矛盾的政治環境，但當內閣出現爭議政策或重大政經事件處理不當，很可能會引咎辭職；四、無論是一致政府還是分立政府時期，閣揆大多是在外部挑戰的政治環境下辭職，意謂府會關係的良窳與閣揆辭職無關。

關鍵字

內閣總辭；行政院院長；半總統制；九七憲改；政黨總統化

並列摘要

The purpose of this paper is to explore the institutional and non-institutional factors of the stepping down as Taiwan’s premier and how these factors shape the political context after the 1997 constitutional amendments. The paper analyzes the major political or economic events that happened during the office period of 14 Taiwan’s premiers (in total 15 terms of office), which can present the change of the political context in their terms of office as well as the circumstances of their stepping down. The stepping down as Taiwan’s premier consists of institutional factors and noninstitutional factors. The former includes (1) the president’s power to appoint and resign premier, (2) the power of the Legislative Yuan to resign the cabinet, and (3) the Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 387 and No. 419. The latter includes (1) the major political or economic events taking place during the term of office, and (2) the outcome of the election of the ruling party. The premier is deeply influenced by the political context which can further divide into internal context and external context. The former is the interrelationship between the political actors within the structure of the internal government, which mainly focuses on the interaction between the premier, the president and the Legislative Yuan; the latter is the external government structure, which emphasizes the promoted public policies and the influence that major political or economic events have in their terms. The paper constructs four categories of political contexts, which can identify the possible reason to step down as Taiwan’s premier: (1) stable cooperation: the premier does not encounter internal contradiction and external challenge; (2) internal contradiction: the premier does not develop a close relationship with the president or the Legislative Yuan; (3) external challenge: the premier promotes controversial public policies resulting in public discontent, or the ruling party loses the election during their term of office; (4) difficulties from both sides: the premier simultaneously encounters the internal contradictions and the external challenges. There are four findings of the paper: (1) The premier may be placed in the negative political context easily and the premier will have hard time escaping from it; (2) The stepping down of the premier is related to the place of president in the political context. The premier will also resign by taking his political context into account; (3) The premiers step down mostly under the pressure of the external challenge, and the second most are under the stable cooperation and difficulties from both sides. It is important for the premier to comply with the president’s will, developing a close relationship with the president. However, external challenges are still a critical factor that led to the premier’s resignation; (4) Either unified government or divided government has nothing to do with the decisions of stepping down as Taiwan’s premier.