The Long March of Village Democracy: A Survey of the Progress toward Democratic Village Self-governance in China

Over the past 30 years, the Chinese policy of village self-governance has promoted a system of democratically elected autonomous committees to wield authority at the village level. Particularly in the period since 1998, the village committee system has made impressive achievements in most areas of electoral rules and procedures. Relatively free and fair elections have become commonplace throughout much of the Chinese countryside, and the level of competition and openness has gradually increased. Nonetheless, village self-governance has had only a modest impact on the actual political configuration of most villages, as Communist Party influence and state-imposed constraints have limited the ability of elected officials to exercise authority independently. It is hoped that future Chinese leaders will continue to strengthen the institutional framework of democratic village governance, and take steps to restrain the influence of non-democratic actors.MAS