Village Self-Governance and Democracy in China: An Evaluation

Village self-governance in China, of which election of the village committee members is the most salient feature, has attracted much attention in the recent decade. Originally established to deal with the chaotic situation in the countryside after the collapse of the commune system in the late 1970s, village self-governance has been regarded as having made significant contributions to China's political reform and democratization. This article reviews three such contributions: institutional innovations relating to village election, a more democratic style of administration at the village level, and a new consciousness of citizenship among the Chinese peasants. However, limitations and deficiencies also exist which seriously curtail or even overwhelm the possible contributions village self-governance can make. First, only a small part of China's vast countryside implements self-governance. Thus, very few peasants are exposed to and nurtured with democratic values. Second, village self-governance can be easily subverted by the local communist cadres. Third, even if genuine self-governance is implemented, the experience cannot easily be transplanted into an urban setting of a higher level, due to the small size and related characteristics of the Chinese village. Therefore, a more balanced and lucid view is needed in evaluating the contributions of village self-governance to China's democratization.