民主國家副總統職位制度設計之探討

The Institutional Design of the Vice President in Democracies

蘇子喬(Tzu-Chiao Su)

《中華人文社會學報》 11期 (2009/09) Pp. 10-44

摘要

本文分別從世界各民主國家副總統職位的一般制度安排、美國副總統的職位設計及其演變，以及我國副總統的憲政地位等三種角度，探討副總統在民主國家憲政體制中的制度設計。首先，就世界各民主國家副總統職位的制度安排而言，可以發現以下的特色：一、副總統的設置與否與憲政體制類型之間具有明顯的關聯性；二、副總統的角色功能與副總統的產生方式兩者之間亦密切相關；三、副總統職位設計呈現區域特色。其次，就美國副總統的職位設計及其演變而言，可以發現美國立國以來副總統的政治地位原本非常渺小，至二十世紀之後其政治地位才逐漸提升，但副總統實質影響力的大小仍然取決於總統對副總統的信任程度；此外，美國的實際經驗也顯示擔任副總統並不見得是邁向總統職位的墊腳石，反而有可能是絆腳石。第三，就我國副總統的憲政地位而言，我國各種法規範對於副總統的相關規定寥寥可數，顯示副總統的憲政地位向來受到忽視。而在我國目前憲政體制的架構之下，由副總統兼任行政院院長是一個可以強化副總統角色功能的可行方案。

關鍵字

副總統 ； 憲政體制 ； 范布倫癥候 ； 內閣制 ； 總統制 ； 半總統制

並列摘要

This paper focuses on the general institutional arrangement concerning the vice president in most democracies around the world, the institutional design of the vice president in the United States, and the constitutional status of the vice president in Taiwan. By making a comprehensive survey of all democracies in the world, we found out that whether or not the vice president is set up in a democracy is closely related to the type of constitutional system. The role and function of the vice president have much to do with how the vice president is selected, and the institutional design of the vice president presents different feature in different areas. It was found that the political status of the vice president in the United State has grown from very little in the primitive constitutional laws to significant role nowadays. We should not ignore the fact that the actual influence of contemporary American vice president still depends on the president's trust, and that being the vice president does not necessarily provide a stepping stone, perhaps a stumbling stone instead, toward being the president. In the case of Taiwan, rare constitutional laws on the vice president imply that the institutional arrangement regarding the vice president is always neglected. In order to strengthen the role of the vice president, the arrangement that the vice president concurrently holds the office of Premier of the Executive Yuan should be desirable and feasible in Taiwan's president-centered semi-presidentialism.

並列關鍵字

Vice President ； Constitutional Systems ； Van Buren Syndrome ； Parliamentarism ； Presidentialism ； Semi-presidentialism