A Comparison of U.S. and Taiwan Elections in English and Chinese

A Comparison of U.S. and Taiwan Elections in English and Chinese

地圖與數學的對決：美台選舉制度大解析

The U.S. System: A Game of Territory:

In the United States, the president isn’t chosen by a single national tally, but through 50 separate state races happening simultaneously.

1. Winner-Take-All: The "All or Nothing" Rule

In almost every state, if you win by one vote or one million, you take all of that state’s "points" (Electoral Votes).

• Example: Candidate A wins California by 5 million votes and gets 54 points.

• Example: Candidate B wins Florida by only 500 votes and gets 30 points.

Even though Candidate A has a massive lead in the total number of actual humans who voted for them, Candidate B remains competitive by capturing a large block of points from a different territory.

2. The Map Strategy: Safelands vs. Battlegrounds

Because of the "points" system, candidates view the country like a game board:

• Safe States: Everyone knows California will lean Democrat and Tennessee will lean Republican. Because those points are "guaranteed," candidates rarely visit them.

• Swing States: This is where the election is won. In states like Pennsylvania (19 points) or Arizona (11 points), the margin is razor-thin. Candidates spend 90% of their time and money here because "stealing" these points is the only path to victory.

3. The Small State "Weight" Advantage

The U.S. system gives a slight mathematical boost to smaller populations to ensure they aren't ignored by big cities.

• The Math: In Wyoming, there is 1 electoral point for every 190,000 people. In Florida, there is 1 point for every 700,000 people.

• The Result: A single voter in a rural, low-population state carries more "weight" in the points system than a voter in a major metropolis.

The Bottom Line: The U.S. President is the leader of a federation of states. You win by winning the map.

The Taiwan System: A Race of Pure Math:

If the U.S. system is a strategic game of capturing territory, the Taiwanese system is a straightforward popularity contest. There are no points, no "safe zones," and no middlemen.

1. Direct Popular Vote: First-Past-The-Post

In Taiwan, whoever gets the most votes across the entire island wins. Period.

• Plurality Wins: If Candidate A gets 40%, Candidate B gets 35%, and Candidate C gets 25%, Candidate A is the winner.

• No Second Chances: Unlike some systems that require a 50% majority or a "runoff" election, the person with the highest number on election night takes office immediately.

2. Every Vote Counts (Literally)

In Taiwan, there is no such thing as a "wasted" vote in a safe area.

• Maximizing Turnout: In the U.S., a Republican in California might feel their vote doesn't matter. In Taiwan, a KMT supporter in a DPP stronghold (like Tainan) still votes because their specific ballot helps cancel out a DPP vote in Taipei.

• The "Ground War": Because a win can be decided by a 1% margin nationally, candidates cannot ignore any village. A farmer's vote in Pingtung is mathematically identical to a CEO’s vote in a Taipei skyscraper.

3. Total Equality: No Regional Buffers

Taiwan’s system does not give "bonus points" to smaller islands or rural counties.

• One Person, One Vote: Whether you live in the remote Penghu Islands or the dense urban sprawl of New Taipei City, your ballot has the exact same impact on the final total.

• Demographics over Geography: Instead of worrying about "swing states," candidates focus on voter groups—like the youth vote, retirees, or specific professional sectors.

The Bottom Line: The Taiwan President is the leader of the people directly. You win by winning the math.

In Chinese:

美國制度：一場「領土爭奪戰」

在美國，總統並非由全國總票數直接決定，而是透過 50 個州同時進行的獨立選戰來決定。

1. 「贏者全拿」：全有或全無的規則

在幾乎所有的州，無論你是贏一票還是贏一百萬票，你都能拿走該州所有的「積分」（即選舉人票）。

• 範例： A 候選人在加州贏了 500 萬票，獲得 54 分。

• 範例： B 候選人在佛羅里達州僅贏了 500 票，獲得 30 分。

雖然 A 候選人在「實際投票人數」上大幅領先，但 B 候選人只要攻下其他領地的積分，依然能與之抗衡。

2. 地圖策略：鐵票區 vs. 搖擺州

基於「積分制」，候選人將國家視為一個棋盤：

• 鐵票區（Safe States）： 大家都知道加州偏向民主黨，田納西州偏向共和黨。因為這些分數是「囊中之物」，候選人幾乎不會去那裡造勢。

• 搖擺州（Swing States）： 這才是決定勝負的地方。在賓州（19 分）或亞利桑那州（11 分）等地區，兩黨差距極小。候選人會把 90% 的時間和金錢砸在這裡，因為「搶下」這些分數是通往勝利的唯一路徑。

3. 小州的「權重」優勢

美國制度在數學上稍微增加了小州人口的分量，確保大城市不會徹底忽略偏鄉。

• 數學題： 在懷俄明州，每 19 萬人就有 1 張選舉人票；但在佛羅里達州，約每 70 萬人才有 1 張票。

• 結果： 在積分制下，人口稀少州的一名選民，其「分量」比大都市選民更重。

核心邏輯： 美國總統是「聯邦（各州組成）」的領導人。想贏，就要贏下地圖。

台灣制度：一場「純粹的數學競賽」

如果說美國制度是策略性的領土爭奪，台灣制度就是直球對決的人氣競賽。這裡沒有積分、沒有「安全區」，也沒有中間人。

1. 全民直選：領先者當選

在台灣，誰在全島獲得最多票，誰就當選。就這麼簡單。

• 相對多數決： 如果 A 候選人得票 40%，B 拿 35%，C 拿 25%，則 A 直接勝出。

• 沒有二輪投票： 不同於某些需要過半票數或「第二輪投票」的國家，台灣在開票當晚票數最高的人就直接當選。

2. 每一票都算數（不折不扣）

在台灣，所謂「鐵票區的廢票」是不存在的。

• 催出投票率： 在美國，加州的共和黨選民可能覺得投了也沒用；但在台灣，即便是在民進黨票倉（如台南）的國民黨支持者也會去投票，因為他們的每一票都能抵銷掉台北的一張民進黨選票。

• 陸地戰： 由於勝負可能僅取決於全國 1% 的差距，候選人不敢忽視任何村莊。屏東農民的一票，在數學價值上跟台北摩天大樓 CEO 的一票完全相等。

3. 絕對平等：沒有區域加成

台灣的制度不會給離島或鄉村地區任何「加分」。

• 票票等值： 無論你住在偏遠的澎湖，還是人口稠密的新北，你的選票對最終總數的影響力完全一樣。

• 族群重於地理： 候選人不必擔心「搖擺州」，而是專注於「選民結構」——例如青年選票、退休人員或特定的職業工會。

核心邏輯： 台灣總統是「人民」直接選出的領導人。想贏，就要贏下總數。