Patterns and the Logic of Expansion of Grassroots Autonomy

As the point of connection between the system and society, township grassroots governments face structural pressures from rigid personnel constraints and the expansion of governance responsibilities. This article analyzes the basic patterns in the expansion of grassroots autonomy in terms of organizational stability and adaptability: horizontal expansion relies on market-based employment to enhance the organizational scale and the division of labor so as to cope with the pressures of governance with a stable organizational structure; vertical expansion establishes derivative organizations through mass mobilization and enhances the social adaptability of the organizations with the help of their social resources. Under the differing governance situations in the urban and rural areas, the differences in resource endowments, types of affairs, and governance goals affect the path of expansion of grassroots autonomy: in urban areas where economic resources are abundant, conflicts of interest are dominant, and the focus is on high-speed economic development, horizontal expansion helps to shape stable sectional organizations to cope with the complex social affairs; in rural areas, where social relations are rich in resources, minor disputes are frequent, and the goal is to maintain order, vertical expansion helps to shape stable sectional organizations to deal with the complex social affairs. At the rural grassroots levels, vertical expansion helps to improve organizational adaptability and strengthen the influence of government. Horizontal and vertical expansions of autonomy are the outcome of grassroots governments optimizing their institutions and innovating their mechanisms according to local conditions. Because grassroots autonomy is the key to effective governance, grassroots governments should be allowed space to flexibly adjust their institutions and mechanisms.