Making The Service Work: The Public Service In Rural China During The Transitions Of Grassroots Governance

Since the foundation of the PRC, under the "totalitarianism" political structure, as important constitutes of the state regime, village sectors of township have been performing the functions of management and service in rural areas. Reviewed and evaluated from the given historical circumstance, it has promoted the formation of rural social order characterized by "super political stability", which is beneficial to the development of large-scale modernization construction dominated by the states and rural social economic life walking up to the right path. However, in the state of low level of high efficiency, the operation of the system covers up the high social and economic costs and gestates deep risk of grass-roots governance.Initiated at the end of 1970s, the rural reform starts up the state - society's total transition from the planning economy to market economy, form the totalitarian politics to modern governance. At the same time, the rural grass-roots governance also bore transitional characteristics, which did not only carry on former contradictions cumulated from the traditional system, but also various kinds of problems produced in the new era. Especially the division and dislocation of government's power and functions at towns and township:?, which hinders the normal development of market economy and the exertion of governance function directly. To counter this issue, Lai-Wu, Shan-dong province, took the lead in reforming village's sectors by simplifying government sectors and decentralizing power in 1986. However, it failed to solve such problems as the contradictions and operation mechanisms existing between governments at towns and townships, the reform didn't make the anticipated achievements.After 1990s', with the gradual changes and developments of rural economic and social environment, the "involving" problems of grass-roots regime had become increasingly. The corporatism, expansion and self-benefit of governments at villages and towns resulted in the decline and weakness of government'; capacity of self-control and governance. The village's sectors gradually turned away from institution of management and service to a "broker" organization. Furthermore, the "hungry" finance provoked and aggravated the internal contradictions of grass-roots governance. The governance system could not adapt to the change of public management and the demand in rural society to provide effective public service, which led to a serials of problems and conflicts between grass-roots governments and rural societies, and consequently evolved governance crisis of rural grass roots in the end. The "tax-fee" reform relieves the nervous relations between the state and farmers, also weakens the finance foundation of grass-roots governments and influences their fulfillment of public service- function. However, it cherishes a new chance that a very significant...