Even before his appointment Shen carried weight in academia and politics, first as head of some semi-official foundations and then as a key facilitator in communications between the KMT and non-KMT, between people home and abroad, and between conservatives and liberals.
今年五十六歲的沈君山雖是無黨籍人士，以往在學界和政界卻有很強的活動力。他曾前後擔任半官方的「自由基金會」董事長、「團結自強協會」秘書長等職務，扮演黨內外、國內外、保守與開明派間的溝通協調者。