臺灣空氣污染防制重大政策變遷之分析—結合多元流與斷續均衡理論

Abstract

空氣污染防制政策具高度技術性、科學不確定性與高知識門檻，較少能獲得社會大眾及政治人物的注意力。然而，臺灣的空氣污染問題，從早期地方型公害抗爭，至近年演變成為全國性的環境運動，甚至成為2014-2018年間從中央到地方選舉的藍綠攻防主軸之一。近年臺灣的空氣污染從技術性、專業性的科學議題，轉化成為政治議題，獲得政府列入優先的政策議程，並推動政策大幅度變遷。此為引發本研究的重要背景。 本研究主要從政治與政策過程觀點進行空氣污染防制政策研究，以《空氣污染防制法》的變遷過程作為研究對象，在分析的時間軸上，以1975年制定空污法後至2018年完成第五次全文修正作為研究範圍。 本研究欲探討之問題有三：一、臺灣《空氣污染防制法》（1975-2018年）的變遷過程，有哪幾次修法是屬於重大政策變遷？其主要內容與特性為何？二、驅動政策產生大幅度改變的影響因素為何？三、空氣污染議題具高度專業性，為何近年能在臺灣眾多的環境議題中脫穎而出，受到民眾、媒體及政府的重視，並成為近期幾次選舉的熱門話題？最後甚至於能進入總體政治議程，由府院層級宣示推動全面性的政策改革？ 為回答上述問題，本研究結合多元流與斷續均衡理論，以整合性的理論架構，解釋臺灣空氣污染防制政策為何、如何及何時發生重大政策變遷，並採用文獻分析及深度訪談方式，深入分析影響政策變遷及其幅度之因素。 研究發現主要有三：首先，臺灣空氣污染防制政策的發展脈絡，可以從管制策略的轉變作為政策變遷的重要節點，將空氣污染防制政策區分為五個發展階段；並在漸進式改革過程中產生3次重大政策變遷，分別是《空氣污染防制法》1992年第二次全文修正、1999年第三次全文修正及2018年第五次全文修正，結合制度與行動者參與等因素能夠更加理解政策大幅度變遷的動因。其次，臺灣空氣污染防制政策發生重大政策變遷的力量，主要來自於問題流與政治流的互動，以及政策企業家採取改變政策形象與政策場域的策略。第三，PM2.5空污問題具有模稜兩可的特性，政策行動者在自利動機下操縱問題界定方式，並掌握「選舉」政策窗開啟的契機推動政策變遷。 最後，本研究提出五點理論反思：第一、「問題掮客」在問題流形成過程中的角色與影響力值得被討論；第二、問題流、政治流與政策流三者之間可能具有相互影響關係，而政治流在臺灣空污防制政策中占主導地位；第三、空污法修正案主要都是從政治流開啟政策窗而進入政策議程，在決策階段也同樣因政治因素而開啟法案三讀通過的政策窗；第四、臺灣空氣污染防制政策中的中央地方權限競爭與政黨政治，在政治流中產生積極影響，提升空污議題顯著程度；第五、政策學習的概念值得在政策流發展過程中被討論。

Air pollution control policies are characterized by a high degree of technicality, scientific uncertainty and knowledge gap, and are less likely to attract the attention of the public and politicians. However, the air pollution problem in Taiwan has evolved from a local pollution protest earlier, to a national environmental movement in recent years, and even became a campaign focus in most government elections from 2014 to 2018. In recent years, air pollution in Taiwan has been transformed from a technical, professional and scientific issue into a political issue, which has been placed on a high priority policy agenda by the government, and has driven major policy changes. This is an essential background for the study. This research conducts air pollution control policy research from the approach of political and policy process, takes the change process of the Air Pollution Control Act as the research subjects, and takes the time axis from the enactment of the Air Pollution Control Act in 1975 to the completion of the fifth full revision in 2018 as the research scope. There are three research topics in this study: 1. Identify which amendments constitute major policy changes in the change process of Taiwan’s Air Pollution Control Act (1975-2018), and its main contents and features. 2. Find out the influencing factors that drive the major policy changes. 3. Investigate why air pollution, which is a highly professional issue, has been able to stand out among many environmental issues in Taiwan in recent years, attracted the attention of the public, the media and the government, and become a hot topic in recent elections; how air pollution even entered the macro political agenda, and was promoted to a policy reformation by the President. This study combines theories of Multiple Streams and Punctuated Equilibrium to interpret why, how, and when major policy changes occurred in Taiwan's air pollution control policy in an integrated theoretical framework. Analyzing the factors that influence policy changes and their magnitudes by literature analysis and in-depth interview methods. Three main findings: First, the change of the regulation strategy acted as an important turning point of the policy change in Taiwan's air pollution control development history, and the air pollution control policy can be divided into five development phases, and there have been three major policy changes in the process of an incremental reformation. Combining factors such as institutions and actors, we can better understand the driving factors of major policy changes. Second, the force of major policy changes in Taiwan's air pollution control policy mainly comes from the interaction between the problem stream and the political stream, and the strategies that policy entrepreneurs adopt to change the policy image and policy venue. Third, the issue of PM2.5 air pollution is characterized by ambiguity and uncertainty. Political actors manipulate the definition of the problem under the motive of self-interest, and grasp the opportunity of the opening of the 'election' policy window to promote policy changes. Finally, this study puts forward five theoretical reflections: first, the role and influence of 'lobbyists' in the formation of the problem stream are worth discussing. Second, there is an interactive relationship among problem, political, and policy streams, and the political stream is dominant in Taiwan’s air pollution control policy. Third, the Air Pollution Control Act amendment can enter the policy agenda mainly because the policy window is opened from the political stream, and also opened due to political factors in the decision-making phase. Fourth, the competition between central and local authorities and party politics in Taiwan's air pollution control policy have a positive impact on the political stream and raise its salience. Fifth, the concept of policy learning is worthwhile discussed during policy stream development.