"The Mass Line" And Modern Chinese Country Building

State-building is the basic theme of the political development in20th century China, compare with the West, the most important feature of the state-building of China is that the modern state is not built on the citizen but on the mass mobilized and led by Communist Party of China. As a result, the mass becomes the most important role in the politics of China, this role of the mass decided the logic of formation, basic form, and the way of operation of the modern state of China.Therefore, the Communist Party of China and the mass are two indispensible object when we ponder over the construction of the modern state of China, In the political background of China, the relationship between the Communist Party of China and the mass is manifested by the conceptualized, multiple, and operable "mass line" of the Communist Party of China. In this sense, pondering over the roles taked over by the Communist Party of China and the mass in the transition from the traditional state to the modern stae, therefore, transforms into the issue of considering the performance and effect of the "mass line" in the process of the modern state building of China.This paper regard "state-building from the mass" as its theoretical assumption and question consciousness,and compare with the way of "state-building form the citizen" in the west.These two different ways of state-building are originated from the different cultural, historical backgrounds,and political ideas,"realistic interests and abstract rights","collectivity and individual","mass liberation and popular sovereignty","social revolution and social contract" are the concrete embody of the differences between the Chinese and western ways of modern state-building.The first section is introduction,in this section,this paper investigates the theory of state-building and its applicability in the study of politics in China, and then this paper puts forward two different ways of state-building exists in China and the west respectively,they are"state-building from the mass"and"state-building form the citizen".Through fully combing the existing literature of the theory of state-building, the mass and the "mass line",this paper points out that existing studies neglecte the deep connection between the mass, the "mass line "and the state-building in20th century China,"citizen" is taken for granted by the existing studies as the main body of the modern state of China,which may neglecte the basic premise and uniqueness of Chinese political development. In the second section, through making a painstaking carding of history and literature,this paper summarizes the connotation, inner logic,and development course of the "mass line".In the third section, this paper enters the discusses of the relationship between the "mass line" and the modern state-building of China.The relationship between the "mass line" and the modern state-building of China, namely the"state-building from the mass",are summed up in four aspects in this paper,they are "the leadership of the party","striving for the mass","the morphology of democracy",and"the implementation of policy". This paper considers that these four aspects are the most basic and unique contents of Chinese modern state-building.In the third section, this paper regard "the leadership of the party" as the theoretical and realistic premise of the modern state-building of China,which also determines the basic form of the modern state of China(the so-called "party-state").And "the leadership of the party" in Chinese politics is defined, established,and regulated by the"mass line" of the party.In the fourth section,this paper discusses how the "mass line" of the party realizes its target of "striving for the mass",in this section,this paper thinks that there are four methods:"investigation and research","agitprop","endowed with"and"systematization".In the fifth section,this paper disscusses how the"mass line"of the party determines the morphology of democracy of Chinese modern state,which bases not on the citizen but on the mass led by the party.In the sixth section,this paper disscusses the relationship between the "mass line" and the implementation of policy of the Chinese modern state. In the final part, this paper makes some summaries and reflections.Through the study of this paper, we can see that the mass not the citizen occupies a dominant position in political development and modern state-building in20th century China. Since the reform and opening took place in1970s China,the identity and role of the mass, on one hand, suffer from the social autonomy caused by the development of market economy, the identity and role of the citizen, on the other hand,grow up gradually.From the mass to the citizen may indicate the future of the Chinese political develoment, but "state-building from the mass" is the premise and basis of this ideal future.We can even say that replacing the mass by the citizen may not suit the political logic and demand of China, we should continue to pay attention to the concept of the mass and its performance, effect in the politics in China in the forseeable future.