Changes In Rural Power Structure Under The New Rules

This paper aims from the perspective of the study of dynamic power to probe into the changes of power structure in rural areas in the context of macro-policy changes.It is argued herein that land acquisition is a continuous interaction and decision-making process of actors,a process of change in power relations,and also reflects the process of micro-governance of rural areas.The research subject was studied from three main aspects:1.analyzing the impact of changes in macro-rules on the grass-roots policy environment;2.investigating under the new policy environment the strategic interaction between different actors through specific domains for action in land acquisition,thus to further analyze the changes in power relations between them;3.revealing changes in the process of micro-governance of rural areas reflected by changes in power structure.Since the 18th CCP National Congress,implementation of adjustments of national macro-rules in grassroots governments is mainly embodied in the new requirements for transition to a "service-oriented" government and policy implementation "according to laws and regulations".In order to ensure implementation of the new rules and further "lock power into the institutional cage",the state has increased the intensity of conditioning and supervision over power exertion.Constrained by the "baton" of regulation and investigation,grass-roots governments see violation costs rise and have to adopt new action strategies for "flexible" implementation of the new rules.During land acquisition,street authorities through development of new operating rules for land acquisition make the greatest efforts to complete land consolidation tasks in the case of relative compliance with the macro-rules.After the introduction of the new operating rules for land acquisition,actors in order to achieve their goals and interests will adopt new action strategies,thus the power relations between them have also changed.Specifically,the power relations between street cadres and village cadres have changed from the past "guidance and assistance" to "administrative contracting",power relations between village cadres and village group leaders from "top-down instruction" to"bottom-up dependence",while the villagers' status of power has changed from "a mere figurehead" to "a major concern".Macro-policy changes cause changes in strategic interaction between power subjects,resulting in changes in power relations between them,while the process of the center of gravity of power moving downward embodied in the changes of said power relations further reflects changes in the process of micro-governance of rural areas.Changes in the micro-governance process are not only embodied in the change at the level of power interaction from grassroots governments-led to farmers(including village group leaders and ordinary villagers)-led,but also further embodied in the top-down flow of the free space owned by power subjects.Furthermore,on the basis of empirical research,this paper attempted to break away from specific cases,trying to explore how macro-rule changes trigger changes in micro-governance of rural areas.In order to ensure the implementation of a new policy to the grassroots level,the state often introduces a series of supporting measures such as strengthening the grass-roots government supervision and investigation mechanisms.In the field of action for specific events,because of the strengthened supervision and investigation mechanisms,violation costs rise,making grass-roots governments have to change the procedures to implement the rules and develop new operating rules to adapt to changes in micro-rules.After the introduction of new operating rules,in order to better achieve their own interests and create favorable conditions for their own,actors adopt new action strategies to construct new consultative exchanges,so that new power relations form.With increasing consultative exchanges between different actors,changes in power relations are gradually embodied in changes at the level of power interaction between different governance bodies represented by different actors.Such changes are mainly embodied in the change of leadership,which in essence reflects changes in the free space owned by different governance bodies.Such change in the level of power interaction and flow of free space between different governance bodies fully exhibit changes in the process of micro-governance in rural areas.