我們觀察到臺灣在民主轉型走向民主鞏固的過程中，暴露出政治品質尚未往上提升的現象。在精省後，地方自治團體的地位勢必大幅提升。然而，目前地方政治生態所呈現的景象是，地方派系、財團及黑道宰制地方的政經資源，尤其派系生態複雜與選風敗壞，嚴重影響民主政治的發展。 要提升民主品質，其中一項非常關鍵的因素，就是提升並強化公民意識。由於我國缺乏公民社會的傳統、政府實施公民教育的偏差、以及地方派系意識的畸形發展，導致社區公民意識遲遲無法建立。雖然臺灣解嚴後民間力量勃興，非營利組織熱烈推展社區運動或公益活動，唯可惜的是，這股力量並未適當地導引成為具有公共性格的公民意識。另一方面，政府延緩制定公民投票法，自然也對社區公民意識的培養造成不利的影響。 經過多年努力，「公民投票法」在2003年11月27日通過，公民投票行使範圍除全國性公民投票外，在直轄市及縣市也引進公民創制複決等直接民權制度，賦予社區居民更多自主議決本身公共事務的空間。為強化社區自治，落實基層民主，本文認為地方性公民投票制度有加以修正的必要，使公民投票法更易發揮宏效。只要地方自治能奠定深厚的基石，相信民主品質的提升必定指日可待。

We observed that the political quality had not been promoted in the process of the democratic transformation toward the democratic consolidation. After downsizing of Taiwan Province, the status of local municipality must have been greatly elevated. Nevertheless, the local political ecology shows that local fraction, financial syndicates and mafia have dominated the local political and economic resources. This phenomenon has seriously influenced the development of Taiwan’s democracy. To raise and strengthen civic consciousness is a key factor to promote the democratic quality. Due to the lack of civic society tradition, the deviated civic education, and the abnormal development of local fraction consciousness, the establishment of civic consciousness of community has long been overdue. After years of endeavor, referendum law passed on Nov. 27, 2003. The scope of referendum not only includes national referendum but extends to special municipality and county the rights of initiative and referendum which confer on community residents more room for autonomous resolutions regarding public affairs. In order to strengthen community autonomy and realize grass-root democracy, this article suggests the necessity of modifying the system of local referendum to expand on the effects of referendum law. As long as the foundation stone of local autonomy has been laid, the elevation of democratic quality is expected in the near future.