Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones: Grassroots Democracy with Chinese Characteristics

J OF CHIN POLIT SCI (2010) 15:135151

DOI 10.1007/s11366-010-9094-2

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Jon R. Taylor & Carolina E. Calvillo

Published online: 18 March 2010# Journal of Chinese Political Science/Association of Chinese Political Studies 2010

Abstract Chinas policy of reform and opening has led to extraordinary economic and societal changes during the past 30 years. One aspect of this progressive, incremental change has been the remarkable development of democracyboth at the grassroots level and within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP, recognizing that political reforms must accompany economic reforms, began to pursue a distinctively Chinese path to political reform and modernizationa socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics. Inspired by leadership from Deng Xiaoping to Hu Jintao, Chinese citizens living in the countryside and townships have held competitive elections for local leadership for over a decade. This paper posits that the rise and institutionalization of competitive, popular local elections is indicative of how the CCP, in fostering a Harmonious Socialist Society, has created a viable, Confucian, and uniquely Chinese alternative to Western liberal democracy in local governance.

Keywords Grassroots Democracy. Intra-partyDemocracy. Incremental Democracy. Tutelary Democracy

Introduction

As I said to one foreign guest, only after 50 years into the next century mainland China would have direct election. Now at above-county levels, we only have indirect election. Direct election is only available at county and below-county levels. Because we have one billion people and the peoples

J. R. Taylor (*) : C. E. Calvillo

Department of Political Science, University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX 77006-4626, USA e-mail: [email protected]

C. E. Calvilloe-mail: [email protected]

Crossing the River by Feeling the Stones: Grassroots

Democracy with Chinese Characteristics

136 J.R. Taylor, C.E. Calvillo

education is not adequate, the conditions for widely conducting direct election are not mature yet. In fact, some ways that work in a certain countries may not be effective in other countries. We must adapt to the reality and decide our own system and administrative methods according to our [social and political] conditions. Deng Xiaoping, 1984 [7].

China should take its own path in enhancing democracy. We never view socialism and democracy as something that is mutually exclusive We should focus on efforts to promote economic development, protect lawful rights and interests of the people, fight corruption, increase public trust...