臺灣地方政治與侍從主義，早期由國民黨所掌控，民主化後學者們的爭議在於地方派系結構是否瓦解？或者是並未消失只是零碎化、山頭化？亦有學者將這兩種觀點整理成肯定說及否定說。本文以高雄市為個案，主要關心派系的存亡與否，再檢視地方派系與樁腳是否變遷，並分析地方派系的樁腳轉型的類型與特質。因為在縣市合併前後，高雄市的市派幾乎都掌握著高雄市議會，若市派已消亡，又何能如此？是否縣市合併（2010年）是一個刺激點，2014年學運又帶來更大之衝擊？刺激了地方派系及樁腳由無意識到有意識的轉型？本文以合併後2014年和2018年地方選舉為主要研究範圍，並延伸至2020年補選及2022年選舉。本文採取深度訪談法，訪談對象包括地方政治菁英以及耆老和學者等，以蒐集第一手資料。本文發現，一些小樁腳滲透到各種人際網絡，進而在選舉中扮演重要角色，他們可能成長為大樁腳，並以相當韌性的方式轉型而存活。據此，本文提出三種樁腳轉型，分別是傳統垂直的農會、相對水平的里長及相對水平的宮廟。研究亦發現，合併後縣派弱化但市派吸納了縣派生存下來。本文的初步研究成果，期能提供學界進一步探究臺灣地方派系與樁腳轉型理論之參考。

Local politics and clientelism were controlled by the KMT in the early days of their rule in Taiwan. Following Taiwan's democratization, the debate among scholars has been whether the structure of local factions has collapsed entirely, has not disappeared but become fragmented, or has become a more mountainous structure. Some scholars organize these viewpoints into two affirmative and negative theories. Taking Kaohsiung City as a case study, this article mainly focuses on the survival of factions, examines whether local factions and their vote brokers have transformed, and analyzes the types and characteristics of such transformations. Since prior to the merger of counties and cities, Kaohsiung City's municipal faction has controlled almost the entirety of the Kaohsiung City Council, yet if the municipal faction has now disappeared, how can this still be the case? Was the merger of counties and cities in 2010 a catalyst, with the student Sunflower Movement of 2014 bringing even greater impact? Did these events stimulate an unconscious to conscious transformation of local factions and vote brokers? This article takes the 2014 and 2018 local elections after the merger as the main research scope, and extends the study to the 2020 by-elections and the 2022 elections. This article adopts a methodology of in-depth interviews, including with local political elites, elders and scholars, to collect first-hand information. The study finds that some minor vote brokers penetrate into various interpersonal networks and play an important role in elections. They may then grow into major vote brokers and survive through transformations with considerable resilience. Based on this, this article proposes three types of transformations of vote brokers: the traditional vertical peasant associations, the relatively horizontal villagers, and the relatively horizontal temples. The study also finds that after the merger, the county faction weakened, but the city faction absorbed the county faction and was able to survive. The preliminary results of this research are expected to provide academic circles with a reference for further exploration of theories related to the transformation of local factions and vote brokers in Taiwan.