普遍性利益或選區相關利益？ 影響苗栗縣第18屆縣議員口頭質詢之因素

Abstract

質詢作為立法者主要的問責機制，用以控制政府的行為（Russo & Wiberg，2010），其實相當程度能反應立法者的個人意志（Martin，2011a），及其於政策議程選擇上的偏好。我國地方政治的框架下，縣市議會於質詢的時間或內容，皆被賦予高度的彈性，使得地方議員得以無後顧之憂，針對自身關注之領域暢所欲言。 因此地方議員會考量不同的因素，調整自身質詢的內容，藉此來選擇自身的角色定位，無論是以政策監督者為本分，關切地方整體的普遍性利益，或正視自己作為選區代理人之角色，於口頭質詢內容之抉擇上，專注於選區相關議題。 本文選以苗栗縣第十八屆縣議會作為個案，試圖探討在長期未政黨輪替，且質詢內容具有高度爭議的地方議會中，議員對於自身質詢內容之利益偏好，會以普羅大眾作為標的，抑或是僅考慮選區內的相關事宜。本文以三大問題意識作切入，一是研究地方議員質詢於不同利益類型的問題數量；二則為影響地方議員調整自身質詢內容之因素為何；最後，則是險勝程度是否影響地方議員的質詢行為。 本文以議員於八個會期中的總質詢內容，以語幹作初步分段，並視其主題，將相似的語幹彙整成一個問題；接著，針對各問題依其牽所涉之利益類型不同進行編碼分類，並參酌過往文獻之研究方法，藉以作為衡量險勝程度之基礎，計算各議員之險勝程度；最後，本文選以OLS迴歸之模型，來作為迴歸統計之估計方法，觀察自變項對依變項的影響效果；另外，由於分析單位並非相互獨立，為使得模型更加穩健，考量議員的質詢內容多寡恐會影響迴歸模型之結果，本研究以Cluster分析來固定各個議員之效果，使得統計結果更為精確。 本文透過量化分析的方式，來證明議員的個人及選舉因素確實會對議員於質詢時，選擇關注的利益型態有所影響，其中黨籍是最重要的因素，其在兩種利益種類下皆有顯著的反應，顯現出我國地方層級議員於質詢時所採用的策略，議員會針對自身背景來考量其是否要善盡「地方代理人」的角色，還是要扮演好「立法監督者」的角色。但議員質詢內容具有高度的動態性及複雜性，且各地方政治發展脈絡迥異，需要更多的研究方能釐清我國地方議會立法行為的全貌。

While serving as a crucial oversight mechanism for legislators to hold the government accountable (Russo & Wiberg, 2010), oral questions also reflect the personal will and policy preferences of legislators (Martin, 2011a). Within the framework of local politics in Taiwan, city and county councils enjoy significant flexibility in terms of the timing and content of questions, thus empowering local councilors to freely address their areas of concern. As a result, local councilors take various factors into consideration when formulating their questions, deciding whether to prioritize their role as policy supervisors (focus on general interest of the public), or as constituent agents (focus on issues related to their constituents). This study focuses on the 18th County Council of Miaoli County to examine whether, in a county council without any party alternation and with highly contentious questioning content, councilors' question formulation reflects a preference for the general interest of the public, or if they primarily prioritize constituency-related issues. This research addresses three main questions: the quantity of questions purposed by local councilors related to different types of interests, the factors influencing the adjustment of question content by local councilors, and the potential impact of electoral vulnerability on their questioning behavior. To analyze the data, the content of councilors from eight different sessions was first segmented based on stem and then grouped into distinct questions based on their themes and policy topics. Each question was subsequently coded and classified according to the types of interests involved, and electoral vulnerability was calculated for each constituency based on prior research. The OLS regression model was employed as the estimation method for regression analysis to examine the impact of independent variables on the dependent variable. Furthermore, recognizing the interdependence of the analysis units and aiming for a more robust model, as well as considering the potential influence of the quantity of questions posed by councilors on the regression results, cluster analysis was utilized to control the effects of individual councilor, ensuring more accurate statistical outcomes. Through quantitative analysis, this study demonstrates that councilors' personal and electoral factors significantly influence the types of interests they choose to focus on when formulating their questions, with party membership being the most influential factor. Local councilors adopt questioning strategies based on their individual backgrounds, considering whether to assume the role of "constituent agents" or "policy supervisors." However, the content of councilors' questions is dynamic and complex, and the political landscape varies across different local areas. Further research is required to develop a comprehensive understanding of the legislative behavior of local councils in Taiwan.