A Study On The Election Of Deputies To The 18th National People’s Congress Of S County From The Perspective Of The Unification Of Procedural Democracy And Substantive Democracy

General Secretary Xi Jinping underscored the quintessential nature of socialist democratic politics as encapsulated by the concept of "whole-process people’s democracy," deeming it as the epitome of democratic practices that are extensive,authentic,and practical.As we embark upon a fresh trajectory toward the actualization of Chinese-style modernization,we are called upon to cultivate the whole-process people’s democracy,thereby ensuring the preservation of people’s primacy in governance.Additionally,we must continue to enhance the level of institutionalization,standardization,and proceduralization in our whole-process people’s democracy.An integral feature and a prominent advantage of the whole-process people’s democracy lie in the union of procedural democracy and substantial democracy.There is an intrinsic necessity to persistently elevate the degree and quality of this amalgamation as part of the advancement of the whole-process people’s democracy.Grounded in the Marxist theory of democracy and the seminal viewpoints put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping about the whole-process people’s democracy,this paper embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the crux and components of research on the county-level People’s Congress.Herein,an analytical framework focusing on voters,organizations,and candidate representatives has been proposed.Using the election of People’s Congress representatives in County S as a case study,this paper examines the roles,consciousness,responsibilities,and behaviors of voters,organizations,and candidate representatives within the context of county-level People’s Congress elections.Moreover,it conducts an in-depth investigation into the mechanisms,experiences,and challenges associated with achieving a harmonious balance between procedural and substantial democracy in county-level People’s Congress elections.It further probes potential pathways for the optimization of county-level People’s Congress elections,viewed through the lens of the harmonization of procedural and substantial democracy.This scholarly endeavor spans six chapters,each dissecting the 18 th People’s Congress representative election in County S from the standpoint of the confluence of procedural democracy and substantial democracy.Chapter One,the introduction,elucidates the research context,significance,methodology,thematic content,and the pivotal issues addressed.It concurrently points out the innovations and potential limitations inherent in the research.Chapter Two delves into the theoretical underpinnings and the core concepts of the study.Grounded in Marxist democratic theory and the key insights from Xi Jinping on the whole-process people’s democracy,this chapter provides an analysis of the cardinal concepts,including the system of the People’s Congress and the unification of procedural and substantial democracy.Chapter Three presents an overview of the case selection and research,justifying the choice of County S and providing a snapshot of its socio-economic trajectory and the historical profile of its People’s Congress representative elections.Chapter Four adopts a three-dimensional analytical framework—encompassing voters,organizations,and People’s Congress representatives(candidates)—to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the actualization of procedural and substantial democracy during the election process of the 18 th People’s Congress representatives in County S.Chapter Five scrutinizes the mechanisms and experiences of County S in implementing procedural and substantial democracy,and the challenges encountered therein.The sixth and final chapter,grounded in a deep analysis of extant issues,proposes strategic measures and recommendations for improving the symbiosis of procedural and substantial democracy within the ambit of county-level People’s Congress elections.These recommendations include exploring innovative ways to safeguard voter rights,optimizing the representativeness and inclusiveness of the county People’s Congress elections,and augmenting the structure of the county-level People’s Congress election system.