Official Governance and Self-governance: The Reconstruction of Grassroots Social Order in China

Description

This book offers a new interpretation of the evolution and modernization of social order in China’s grass-roots communities. Traditionally, social order at the grass-roots level was maintained through an organic combination of self-rule by the people and authority rule by political leaders. As a hybrid form of social order, therefore, it not only has features of autonomy but also reflects the power of the state apparatus. Despite the modernization of the nation-state, the old rules sustaining social order at the grass-roots level are still very much in effect and have seamlessly integrated into the new social structure. Unless we fully appreciate this fundamental continuity, we would not be able to understand how social order at the grass-roots level today is upheld and functions. And the modernization of social order at the grass-roots level is most fruitfully studied from the perspectives of the construction of modern public social relations and the development of grass-roots systems of social autonomy. Contents About the Author List of Figures List of Tables 1 Foreword Part I The Transformation of Traditional Grassroots Social Order and Significance of Its Modern Construction 2 The Cognitive Paradigms for Understanding Traditional Grassroots Social Order 2.1 Self-Governance or Official Governance 2.2 Different Cognitive Paradigms for Understanding Self-Governance and Official Governance 2.3 The Theoretical Origin of the Cognitive Paradigms 3 Rules of Order: Structure of Social Authorities at the Grassroots 3.1 Rules and Order 3.2 Public Sphere and Private Sphere 3.3 Rule of Rituals: A Method or Something Else 4 The Structure of Social Order and the Relationship Between Society and State 4.1 Order Through the Rule of Rituals and Law and the Relationship Between the Society and the State 4.2 The Order Dimension of Tax System: Relationship of Personal Bondage in the Imperial Society 4.3 The Structural Pattern of Social Authority and Power at the Grassroots 5 Grassroots Governance by Local Government Clerks and Runners and Its Modern Transformation: Social Restructuring and Remolding of Social Order 5.1 Rectification of Grassroots Governance by Local Government Clerks and Runners 5.2 Social Restructuring and Modernization of Grassroots Authority 5.3 From Order Through the Rule of Rituals and Laws to Order Through Modern Authority 6 The Significance of Modern Construction of Grassroots Social Order 6.1 The Historical Evolution of Social Order Transformation 6.2 Social Authority Order System at the Grassroots 6.3 The Nature and the Changes of Public Social Relationships Part II The Contemporary Authority Structure and Governance System of Grassroots Social Order 7 The Historical Basis of the Governance Order in Rural Society 7.1 The Order of Governance in Rural Society 7.2 The Principle of Order and the Form of Authority in Rural Society 7.3 The Ruling Characteristics of Governance in Rural Society 8 Finance and Governance (1): The Nature of Government Power and Its Boundaries 8.1 Changes of Power Boundaries Reflected in the Fiscal Account Looking at Power Changes from Fiscal Revenue The Mobilization Ability of Local Governments Tax Revenue and Non-budget Revenue Looking at Power Changes from Fiscal Expenditures The Scope of Public Fiscal Expenditure Is Wide, and the Investment in Social Governance Has Increased The Expenditure of Funds and Special Funds Is Concentrated, and the Risk of Land Fiscal Expenditure Increases The Non-public Nature of the Fiscal Structure and the Nature of Fiscal Growth Source of Taxation: Fiscal Expansion Tax Expenditure: Growth in the Non-public Sector The Nature of Resource Monopoly and Increase in Fiscal Revenue 8.2 Functions of Public Finance and Public Demands The Status Quo of Difficulty in Fiscal Operation in Township Internal Factors in the Difficulty of Fiscal Operation in Townships 9 Finance and Governance (2): The Significance of Public Finance Restructuring at the Grassroots for Social Governance Transformation 9.1 Public Finance and Its Significance for Modern Governance 9.2 Between Imperium and Dominium 9.3 The Significance of Institutional Reform for Public Finance Construction 9.4 Construction of Public Finance and Transformation of Social Governance 10 Rules and Order: The Transformation of Grassroots Social Governance 10.1 Order of Governance and Authority 10.2 Structure of Grassroots Governance by Authority 10.3 From Order Under Rule by Government Authoritative to Order Under Self-Rule 10.4 Public Rules and Their Implications for Social Order 11 Grassroots Public Political Culture 11.1 The Significance of Public Political Culture for Governance 11.2 The Public Sphere and Public Political Culture 11.3 Transformation of the Public Sphere and Evolution of Public Political Culture 11.4 Building a Public Political Culture Based on Political and Cultural Ties 12 Forms of Rights for Members of the Rural Society: From Primary Community to State-Based Community 12.1 From Small Community to Large Community 12.2 Foundation of Rural Governance: Lack of Civil Rights 12.3 Full Civil Rights and Transformation of Rural Governance 12.4 Democratization and Legislation for Rural Governance 13 The Rights Distribution System for Urban Residents 13.1 Urbanization and Grouping of Urban Population by Household Registration Status 13.2 Rights Under a Dual Structure: Household Registration in Urbanized Areas 13.3 Identity Groups and Authoritarian Governance 13.4 From Identity to Contract, and the Granting of Civil Rights 13.5 Urbanization and the Entitlements 14 Social Organizations in Historical and Social Contexts 14.1 Civil Social Organizations or Governmental NonGovernmental Organizations? 14.2 Social Organizations in Historical Context 14.3 The Changing Import of Traditional Forms of Social Organization in Modern China 14.4 Mirroring of Social Organizations in Contemporary China 14.5 Definition of Social Organizations in Contemporary China 15 Documentary Governance: How Authority Is Exercised and Its Significance for Order and Rules 15.1 Documentary Governance: A Form of Governance Between Democracy and Autocracy 15.2 Origin of Formalized Rules and Form of Authority 15.3 Documentary Governance and Public Social Relationships 15.4 Documentary Governance and Law-Based Governance: Authority, Rules and Others 16 Co-governance by Officials and the People 16.1 Official Governance or Self-Governance: Different Narratives 16.2 Interlocking Power System: A Hybrid Governance System 16.3 Construction of Social Power and the Changing Nature of Public Social Relationships 17 Restructuring Order: Forty Years of Grassroots Governance Reform in China 17.1 Structural Changes: Public Social Relationships 17.2 Changes in the Grassroots Governance System 17.3 Reform and Transformation of Grassroots Governance References