Study On Political Participation Of The People In Northwest Minority Region Of China

Taken the ultimate of the Rational Choice Theory, the Political Culture Theory and the Social Capital Theory as a framework and based on the investigation from Ganzanggou village, the thesis analyses the state of the political participation of rural people, the factors affecting the political participation of rural people, and the operational mechanism of the political participation of rural people, then points out the orderly political condition in which people in northwest minority region of China participate in.The study indicates that the characteristics of political participation of people in northwest minority region of China mainly lie in the following: Firstly, the extent of the people's political participation is limited and many people are indifferent to political affairs. Secondly, the activeness of people's political participation is absent and there are more induced participations and passive participations. Thirdly, many people have not definite target in political participation, so act randomly. Finally, many people pay little attention to the whole community's aim, and only to their own.The reasons about the situation primarily consist in the following: First, the institution to construct democracy in rural area is imperfect Second, as the restriction of social structure, political culture and individual quality of different people, people in rural area are just the "semi-rational" participators whose preferences in political participation always base on their private interests and short-term benefits without the knowledge of the potential benefits from political participation. Third, the low-level political cognition, passive political attitude and "non-participated" political personality based on above have led to passive and slavish guidance of rural people. Finally, the social capitals that have more validity in politics and economics are comparatively insufficient such as the absence of the civil organizations which have political and economical intergraded functions, the lack of the multiple functions of the formal organizations and the informal organizations" interference to political life in rural areas like clanship.The thesis points out the following countermeasures are necessary to form anorderly political participation of people in northwest minority region of China: For one thing, a proper institution about democracy in rural area must be established and brought into effect. For another, rural economy, especially collective economy must be developed. Besides, the cultural quality of rural people must be improved to cultivate modern political culture. Finally, the social capital in rural areas must be improved to broaden extension of people's political participation.