"Unlimited Liability At The Basic-level Government" Difficulties And Countermeasures

With into the fourth decade of reform and opening-up, China’s economic and social development has made remarkable achievements. Towards the deepwater area of reform at the same time, along with the reform of social development to a new level, China has also entered a period of social transition and sharp contradictions. Limited government, responsible government, service-oriented government and other concepts in theoretical circles have gradually reached a consensus. Meanwhile, in the implementation of the governance the grass-roots government has been in an "infinite responsible government" dilemma. This has seriously affected the local economic and social capacity for sustainable development, the grass-roots government’s credibility among its close ties with the people, the course of civil society and the country under the rule of law. Some specific performance is as follows.Firstly, the grass-roots government provides public services beyond their own capabilities of too much administrative responsibility. Thus, some grass-roots government cannot ensure implementation of the public service functions in place, no matter from the human and financial resources.Secondly, under the current assessment mechanism, the financial and taxation systems and social aspirations, grass-roots government has involved in economic life directly too much too deep for promoting economic development. Besides, the grass-roots government has a close link to the market main body for the interests. Under certain conditions, the management difficulties of market main body bring the local grass-roots government administrative difficulties. And the enterprise credit crisis triggers the government credibility crisis, which hurt the foundation of economic development.Thirdly, in the process of maintaining social stability, coordinating social conflicts, responding to social demands, the grass-roots government is often forced to crossing the line, to adopt administrative measures to resolve the problems which should be resolved by justice or the residents’autonomy. Contacting from the various social contradictions, the grass-roots government always play the role of a fallback, intentionally or unintentionally. It replaces the role of judicial and gives birth to a certain kind of individuals, who ignore the rule of law. And it has had a negative impact on the popularity of law in grass-roots society.Fourthly, at different times and under different backgrounds, some policies of grass-roots government remained unchanged for many years, no longer meet the requirements of the times now. Some of the policies are constantly changing, that confused people. The grass-roots government has its continuity and inheritance. It undertakes all these policies down.The reasons why this phenomenon happened are complicate. Firstly, the long history culture of traditional relations between the officials and the public, the planned economy system and thinking inertia since the founding of the county, and Chinese local customs and habits cause the reason. Secondly, the government’s own lack of functional transformation, the township government responsibility generalization, busy with the superior assigned tasks, unequal responsibilities and rights make the grass-roots government become all-embracing government, mission-oriented government and shell government. Thirdly, the relationship between government and the market has not been straightened out. The fiscal and taxation systems and the pressure of the examinational makes the grass-roots government deep into intervention in microeconomic. Incomplete development of the market itself, unordered regulation of the market makes a number of government departments and officials compete with private phenomenon happen. Fourthly, the legal concept of some cadres and the public is not strong. The legal system has not been fully established. The legal work should be improved, along with the petition holding stability mechanism and the pressure brought by administrative means offside. Fifthly, the reconstruction between government and society division of functions has just started. And the background and the reality of social construction have undergone major changes with social discontent and social interest depriving each other. The development of the Internet and new media communication mechanism bring changes and management challenges. In the current policy environment, the grass-roots government can not fundamentally get out of the "unlimited liability for the government "dilemma with its own ability and range of functions. The grass-roots government must rely on the top-level design and community involvement to solve the problems by doing following aspects of reform:Firstly, we should advocate the spirits of autonomy, such as the volunteer spirit, the humanistic spirit, and the spirit of citizenship to construct the civil society. Secondly, we should correct the position and functions of the grass-roots government. And then, we should promote reform of the fiscal and taxation system, changing their purse strings at the grass-roots level, changing the human resources and institutional set tilted to the grassroots, promoting grassroots cadres appraisal system reform, strengthening the management of grass-roots cadres and the construction of limited government. Thirdly, we should strengthen the rule of law, building the rule of law government, and reforming the legislative, judicial and institutional policy. Fourthly, we should improve people’s livelihood and social management innovation as the focus of social construction, promote people’s livelihood security and income distribution system reform, strengthen and guide the community construction and social organization. At the same time, we should also strengthen the study of the Internet and establish the concept of new media.