Theory And Practice Of The Early Days Of The Communist Party Of Rural Grassroots Political Power (1949-1958)

This dissertation focuses on the construction of the rural grass-roots power under theleadership of the CPC in the early years of New China, examining the issue in a chronologicalorder with the interaction between the nation and the society as an entry point and discussing itthrough the following aspects: its process, approach, significance and effects. It also analyzes theunderlying relationships and the interaction between the construction of rural grass-roots powerand the social changes, such as the Land Reform and the Agricultural Cooperation.The first chapter briefly discusses the theoretical exploration and the practices of theconstruction of the rural grass-roots power before the1949China. In the period of DomesticRevolution, the CPC always sought to combine the Theory of Marxism and the objective reality ofChina, gradually developed a complete intellectual system for the construction of the newdemocratic transition regime, and successfully led the construction of the rural grass-roots powerin the revolutionary base areas, which helped accumulate the following great valuable experiences:first, we must wholeheartedly rely on our people, believe their great power and lay a solid massbase for the construction of the rural grass-roots power; second, we must work in accordance withthe actual conditions of China, following the path of socialism with distinctive Chinese features;third, we must hold the livelihood issues as our fundamental focuses, increasing the masses’satisfaction degrees, strengthening the relationship between the Party and the masses. The threepieces of experience above are constructive on the construction of the rural grass-roots power afterthe founding of PRC.Next, the dissertation spends three chapters to examine the history of the construction of therural grass-roots power under the leadership of the CPC in the early years of New China. Chapterthree focuses on the process during which the Party built the system of the rural grass-roots powerthrough the takeover of the regime and the Land Reform. In the early years of New China, theParty strategically transferred the work focus, posed some primary ideas for the development ofthe economy and the society and completed the top design of the political system, which togetherfounded the theoretical basis for the construction of the rural grass-roots power. In the practicallevel, the Party gradually transferred to the new organizing system of the rural grass-roots powerthrough the takeover of the old regime, the abolishment of the Bao-Jia System and the grass-rootsdemocratic development. Meanwhile, the Party launched the Land Reform in the newly-liberatedarea, which played an active role in the construction of the rural grass-roots power. First, the LandReform laid the economic foundation for the rural grass-roots power; Secondly, it changed thepower structure of the rural society; Third, it helped strengthen the group political identification ofthe farmers; Forth, it reconstructed the organizing system of the rural grass-roots power. Throughthe Land Reform, the rural grass-roots power of the New China gained the support and theacknowledgment of the farmers and earned its legal foundation. Chapter Four mainly discusseshow the Party reset the tasks, and opens a new chapter of the construction of the rural grass-rootspower after the Land Reform. After the Land Reform, it appeared something new, for example, theclass structure of agriculture，the hierarchy newly differentiated, farmers required to enrich theirfamilies. Thus, CPC changed their initial envisage of how to transitive to socialism in stand by theParty’s general line of transitional period. Under this circumstance, the basic task of rural grass-roots power also became Socialist Transformation for farmers. So the CPC initiated the ruralAgricultural Cooperation. Through the boosting of grass-roots power, the implementation ofunified purchase and sale and class path, the construction of rural Party organization, a newprogress of construction of regime for farmers’ Socialist Transformation was preliminarily opened.By the same time, besides opening a new chapter of China’s democracy progress, the first sessionof National People’s Congress also established solid basis of democratic and legal system for theconstruction of rural grass-roots power; the fifth chapter mainly focuses on how rural grass-rootspower accelerated the progress of farmers’ Socialist Transformation in the later period ofAgricultural Cooperation, and record successful implementation of the basic objectives of thegrassroots political power construction course. Since the second half of1955, CPC changed theguideline of Agricultural Cooperation in order to speed up the socialist transformation ofagriculture. Under active advocacy of CPC and grass-roots power, Agricultural Cooperationdeveloped rapidly. Rural China completed the transformation from cooperation group to primarycommunity and then to superior community in a short time, and the rural grass-roots power alsoachieved the basic goal of farmers’ Socialist Transformation. Though the development ofAgricultural Cooperation broke farmers’ ideology bottom line, because of the trust in CPC andChinese government, the need of production, the hope of the future, and the group psychologywhen facing stress, they eventually accepted the transformation of state power intent. Uponcompletion of the co-operative, in response to the wave of retirement from community in parts ofthe country, to consolidate the triumph of agricultural co-operation, CPC launched movements ofrectify the cooperative and rural socialist education, to some extent, to break through thedifficulties faced by the rural grassroots political power. However, the socialist educationmovement also caused the interruption of grassroots political power of self-adjustment process，caused some negative impact on the long-term development of the rural economy and society.Finally, the dissertation summarizes the three historical significances of construction of ruralgrass-roots power in the early years of New China and its modern enlightenments. First, theconstruction of rural grass-roots power in the early years of New China build unified regimeorganization system and effectively integrated the rural resources, which created favorableconditions for the modern transformation of Chinese society. Secondly, the construction of ruralgrass-roots power in the early years of New China gained farmers’ political recognition and buildlegal foundation of regime, which basically ensured the regime consolidation of New China. Third,the construction of rural grass-roots power in the early years of New China perfected democracylegal system and build legal foundation of regime, which established system and ideology base forthe democracy construction of New China. Fourth, establish a good social atmosphere; makenotable progress in improving socialist spiritual civilization. By analyzing the construction of ruralgrass-roots power in the early years of New China, three modern enlightenments are summarized.First, we must insist the leadership of CPC and strengthen the construction of ruling party, whichbasically ensure the construction of rural grass-roots power. And then, we must adhere to theprinciple of popular sovereignty and develop democracy at the grass-roots level, which are thecore of construction of rural grass-roots power. Last, we must stick to seek the benefit for themasses and improve the independent participation of farmers, which are the successfulexperiences of construction of rural grass-roots power.