The Study On Power Allocation In Chinese County-level Governments

As the most stable unit of political districts, the county-level government is the basis of national governance institutions. The efficient operation of county-level governments is the key process of political stability, economic development and social stability, and the efficiency of the county-level governments depend a lot on the power allocation.Starting with the historical changes, this research provided a thorough description of historical evolution, contents, and characteristics of the power allocation in county-level governments, in order to sum up the development patterns and the influencing factors. The purpose of the power allocation in county-level governments is to function effectively. Therefore, in the context of the change of contemporary Chinese government functions, this research probed into the difficult situations in which the power allocation in county-level governments diverged from the functions they should perform. The existing power allocation in county-level governments is not isolated and immobile, but a dynamic evolving process associated closely with the nation's macro system and operational mechanism. This research focused on following aspects:the political ecology of the power allocation in county-level governments, the power relationship between the Central and Local, institutions setting in county-level governments, the analysis on new modes of power allocation based on the existing system, such as let-off and draw-in the power in county-level governments, institutions reform, and system innovation. To demonstrate the practical state of the power allocation in county-level government, this research selected County N and County F as examples, to do the detailed case analysis on vertical and horizontal dimensions. Based on the discussion on the aspects mentioned above, considering the useful experiences of power allocation in American federal system and French unitary system, this research put forward ways to realizing the power allocation in county-level government on the legal strengthening direction. There are six parts in this research with main ideas as follows:The introduction set forth the aim and significance of this research briefly, defined the core concepts, and provided an academic review of this field. Fundamental guideline of this research, main research approaches, and the structure of this paper have been put forward in this part.The first chapter, The Historical Changes of the Power Allocation in Chinese County-level Governments, gave a full description of the three periods of the power allocation in Chinese county-level governments, that is the period before the foundation of People's Republic of China, the period between the foundation of PRC and the Reform and Opening-up Policy, the period after the Reform and Opening-up Policy, in order to explore the sound reasons that county-level governments existed in China and its unique functions. Based on the analysis on power allocation in county-level governments in different historical periods, this research summarized the lessons drew from history and experiences.Chapter Two, The Function Orientation of Contemporary Chinese County-level Governments, provided a thorough study on the change of Chinese government functions after the Opening Up and Reform and analyzed the public service-oriented functions the county-level governments should perform based on the study.Chapter Three, The Analysis on Power Allocation of Chinese County-level Governments System, provided a detailed analysis on the circumstances of Chinese county-level governments system, discussed the influences of the nation's unitary system, the system of people's congress, the governing system of Communist Party of China on the power allocation in county-level governments, and probed into the system persisted by county-level governments on vertical and horizontal dimensions.Chapter Four, The case Analysis on the Power Allocation in Chinese County-level Governments, provided County N as case study of the status quo of power allocation in county-level governments, and took County F as an example of the status quo of the power horizontal allocation in county-level governments. By analyzing the cases, this research revealed the existing problems in power allocation in county-level governments in China.Chapter Five, The legal Strengthening Direction of the Power Allocation in Chinese County-level Governments, summarized the valuable lessons from which China can learn based on the analysis of American federal system and French unitary system, and provided practical methods.The main viewpoints put forward in this dissertation are as follows:1. County-level governments take a very important part in Chinese local governments system, and they serve the public directly and perform functions representing the central government. The relationship between the central and local governments is the essential factor caused the change of the power allocation of county-level governments.2. With the development of the economy and society home and abroad, the focus, contents, and the performing ways of Chinese government functions have changed. To set the public service-oriented function as the government function is the necessary requirement of the development of our society and economy. The governments of different levels should provide public service with different contents.3. The power allocation of county-level governments is not isolated, to which the state structure form, the regime form, the political party system are closely associated. The nature of the vertical power allocation of county-level governments is the power distribution between the Central and the Local. The nature of the horizontal power allocation is the office construction of county-level governments. The major mode of the vertical power allocation is delegating power and getting back power. The major mode of the horizontal power allocation is institutional reform and system innovation.4. The status quo of the vertical and horizontal power allocation, the modes of power allocation can not meet the requirement of functions should be performed by county-level government. To solve the existing problems is to strengthen legal system.5. The legal administration of county-level governments can largely improve the stable and orderly relationship between the Central and the Local, the efficient provide of the public service, and the efficient running of the government power. To achieve the ideal state, the correct legal ideas should be cultured, the political-entironment should be improved, the route of the power allocation should be regulated, the power of different levels government should be clearly cut, government institutions should be constructed scientifically, and the government power should be allocated legally.