Township Governance and Institutionalization in China

This unique volume takes a very different approach to township or xiangzhen governance. It explores the structural constraints on township governance and the way that these constraints influence the day-to-day behavior of Chinese rural grassroots government leaders. Based on thoroughgoing interviews with township and village cadres and villagers, the book depicts how individual actions affect and are affected by the underlying institutional arrangements and hence captures the dynamic micro functions of grassroots government as well as macro evolutions of overarching political institutions in China. The down-to-earth presentation of this book engages readers to deeply feel the genuine life and dilemmas of cadres at the rural grassroots levels in China.

The goal of this book is to analyze the fiscal standing, power structure and public service functions of township governments in the context of its subtle relationships with upper level governments as well as with sub-level villages and the rural grassroots society. Its comprehensive documentation and in-depth discussion provide the best depiction of rural governance in contemporary China.

Contents:

• Progress of Township Governance Studies
• Organizational and Personnel Structure
• Fiscal Standing and Debt Crisis
• Power and Accountability
• Control Systems
• Public Services of Township Governments
• Township Government in Prospect
• Government Functions and Alienation of Institutions
• Institutionalization of Governments and Reforms

Readership: Undergraduates, graduates, researchers and general public who are interested in China's township governance.
Key Features:

• The on-site surveys and interviews in twenty townships in ten provinces provide convincing evidences to study township governance
• The down-to-earth documentation of interviews with township and village cadres and villagers help readers to easily understand the dilemmas confronted by these rural grassroots government officials
• The discussion of township relationship with upper-level and sub-level governments provides a comprehensive sociological analysis of Chinese rural grassroots politics and society