On March 19, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Hunan and learned about the local efforts to reduce the burden on the grassroots and improve the efficiency of grassroots governance at the Party and Mass Service Center in Gangzhongping Village, Xiejiapu Town, Dingcheng District, Changde City. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that we must resolutely rectify the problems of formalism and bureaucracy, streamline our troops and streamline our administration, and persevere in this work. At the same time, grassroots cadres are encouraged to work together on industrial development and rural governance, and continue to achieve results recognized by the farmers.
Rectifying outstanding formalism issues has reduced the burden on the grassroots, and what changes have it brought to the work of grassroots cadres? In what aspects do we need to promote the modernization of grassroots governance? How to improve the grassroots governance system that combines autonomy, rule of law, and rule of morality under the leadership of party organizations? The reporter interviewed Hao Yaguang, a professor at the China Rural Research Institute of Central China Normal University, Liu Mingwei, an associate professor at the Guangdong Provincial Party School, and Wang Yucheng, the party branch secretary and village committee director of Yucun Village, Tianhuangping Town, Anji County, Zhejiang Province.
Create "certificate-free villages (communities)" and reduce the number of government APPs used by village cadres per capita... It reduces the burden on the grassroots and releases the vitality of cadres, further improving the efficiency of grassroots governance.
Reporter: What changes has the rectification of outstanding formalism issues brought about in reducing the burden on the grassroots?
Wang Yucheng: In recent years, efforts have been made to reduce the burden on the grassroots, and cadres have more time and energy to serve the people. Taking our Anji County as an example, through a comprehensive bottom-up inspection of the list of 8 types of village community responsibilities, including village community responsibilities, work ledgers, organization brands, etc., 36 village-level responsibilities were standardized and optimized, and 53 ineffective government application systems were deleted. , stopped the unrealistic creation and evaluation of 4 items, and implemented dynamic management of the list of items.
These optimization adjustments have reduced the burden on village cadres and released their vitality. In the past, people often asked the village to stamp certificates such as no illegal and criminal records. Now the county regards the creation of "certificate-free villages (communities)" as a key link to reduce the burden on the grassroots. After discussions, research, and definitions, the county has canceled these certificates at once. The 42 certificates originally issued by the village community greatly reduced the time that village cadres originally needed to spend on verification. In addition, the number of applications of our village government APP before was 45 to 50, and the per capita number of village cadres using it was more than 10. After rectification, the per capita use of our government APP has been reduced by more than half.
Liu Mingwei: The grassroots level is the key to ensuring the implementation of the Party Central Committee’s decisions and arrangements. Under the strong promotion of the Party Central Committee, we have made great efforts to reduce the burden on the grassroots, resolutely rectified the problems of formalism and bureaucracy, and thoroughly rectified the stubborn problems of work style. A series of measures to reduce the burden on the grassroots have been implemented and have achieved results.
In recent years, the situation of grassroots leading cadres being "stuck" in conference venues and reporting reports has been effectively alleviated. They have more energy to devote to planning work ideas and more time to conduct investigations and research, understand the real situation at the grassroots level, and solve practical problems. The formalism problems plaguing the grassroots have been rectified, and the work of reducing the burden on the grassroots has achieved remarkable results.
While doing a good job in reducing burdens at the grassroots level, all localities have further guided party members and cadres to establish a correct view of political performance, established a normalized mechanism for reducing burdens at the grassroots level, continuously released signals to support hard work, and stimulated the enthusiasm of grassroots party members and cadres to start their own businesses. We must keep our eyes downward and face the grassroots, insist on allocating forces and tilting service resources to the grassroots, allowing grassroots cadres to devote more energy to grassroots social governance work, and promote the deepening and expansion of grassroots burden reduction work and grassroots social governance to continuously achieve new results.
Grassroots governance is the cornerstone of national governance, and we must do a good job in the basic work of modernizing grassroots governance
Reporter: How do you understand that grassroots governance is the cornerstone of national governance?
Hao Yaguang: The reason why grassroots governance is the cornerstone of national governance lies in its integral, fundamental and leading role in national governance.
First of all, from the perspective of systems theory, grassroots governance, as the “nerve endings” of the national governance system, is an indispensable part. The effectiveness of grassroots governance not only affects the smooth communication and effective implementation of national governance decisions, but also affects the integrity and coherence of the national governance chain, and also determines the dynamics and adaptability of the national governance system.
Secondly, as the forefront of serving the people, the grassroots level is closest to the people, serves the people most directly, has the widest contact with the people, and has the most profound influence on the people. The governance effectiveness of grassroots organizations in providing public services and handling social issues such as neighborhood disputes, environmental pollution, and public safety directly affects the people's sense of gain and happiness, and is even related to social harmony and stability.
Finally, as the "front line" in promoting the modernization of national governance, the grassroots level has always assumed the functions of "test field" and "wind vane". The grassroots level is where all kinds of contradictions and problems gather, and it also reflects the will and demands of the people. Typical experiences developed in some places based on local conditions, such as the "Fengqiao Experience", "Ten Million Projects", and "Pujiang Experience", etc., have effectively improved grassroots governance capabilities after being widely promoted.
Reporter: In recent years, many places have explored and formed characteristic brands of grassroots social governance under the leadership of party organizations. What do you think of these innovations?
Hao Yaguang: General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "A strong grassroots level will make the country strong, and a safe grassroots level will make the world safe. We must do a good job in the basic work of modernizing grassroots governance."
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has stood at the height of consolidating the Party's ruling foundation and safeguarding the security of national power, upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership of grassroots governance, and taking serving the people and benefiting the people as its starting point and goal. Focus on strengthening the governance capacity of grassroots governments and building an urban and rural grassroots governance pattern of joint construction, joint governance and sharing, forming a good situation in which the people live and work in peace and contentment and the society is stable and orderly.
In March 2023, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Plan for the Reform of Party and State Institutions" and proposed the establishment of the Central Ministry of Social Work. This is another major measure to strengthen the party's overall leadership in the new era. It is conducive to giving full play to the party's core role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties, continuously consolidating the construction of grassroots political power, and fully implementing the party's leadership at the grassroots level. The establishment of the Ministry of Social Work further clarifies the concept of "big society governance" and emphasizes that social governance with the participation of multiple subjects under the leadership of the Party is conducive to improving the socialization, refinement and legalization of social governance.
In recent years, while continuing to correct formalism and stimulate the vitality of cadres, many places have introduced information technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence to empower grassroots governance personnel to contact the people, collect social conditions and public opinion, solve difficult problems, and enhance The professional qualities and abilities of grassroots governance personnel will enhance the intelligence and professionalism of grassroots governance. Grassroots governance models are also constantly innovating. The exploration and practice of grassroots governance models represented by "red properties", "smart communities", "grid governance" and "list-based governance" have not only effectively strengthened the self-service and self-management of grassroots people and self-education ability, and significantly improved the cohesion of the grassroots and the satisfaction of the masses.
Improve the grassroots governance system that combines autonomy, rule of law, and rule of morality under the leadership of party organizations
Reporter: General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to improve the grassroots governance system that combines autonomy, rule of law, and rule of morality under the leadership of party organizations. How to understand the unique roles of autonomy, rule of law and rule of morality in grassroots governance?
Wang Yucheng: In grassroots governance, we insist on taking villager autonomy as the basis for promoting grassroots governance and maintaining long-term peace and order in the village. Everyone participates in everyone's affairs and discusses everyone's affairs. Through the "Two Mountains" meeting, democratic talk day, and online disclosure We have continuously improved consultative democracy at the grassroots level in rural areas, stimulated the vitality of mass self-governance, and achieved "people's deliberation, government and supervision in villages". For example, when promoting the construction of the "Two Mountains" greenway, 42 graves need to be relocated. Because the relocation of graves affects traditional customs, some villagers cannot figure it out, and there is great resistance to progress. Through the "Two Mountains" meeting, the village's "two committees" mobilized villagers to discuss extensively and fully express their opinions. At the same time, village cadres went to each house to discuss and communicate face-to-face, and finally put forward a stable solution, so that the tomb relocation could proceed smoothly.
At the same time, legal thinking and legal methods should be used to solve problems encountered in village development and governance. We have explored and formulated the "Eight Requirements for an Integrity and Honest Village", which includes village-level political construction, village-level decision-making, "three capital" management, engineering projects, "three affairs" disclosure, village-level supervision, team management, township Specific specifications have been made for eight aspects of civilized culture, and 26 items on the list of "must dos" and "not to be done" in the operation of village-level affairs have been made. At the same time, "Sunshine Village Affairs" has been vigorously promoted, and the village affairs supervision committee, village affairs supervision committee, and village affairs supervision committee have been established. Public column, "Supervision at a glance" platform. On the basis of the standardized operation of village-level power, villagers are constantly guided to establish their awareness of the rule of law through the construction of rule of law publicity corridors, rule of law sketches and other distinctive legal cultural positions.
Governing by virtue means convincing people with virtue and educating people. We attach great importance to inheriting the excellent traditional Chinese culture, strengthen the construction of social ethics, professional ethics, family virtues, and personal moral character, encourage villagers to spontaneously form "Home Guards", actively participate in daily village management such as legal education, conflict mediation, public services, and home patrols, and strive to Achieve "little things don't leave the village".
Liu Mingwei: Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has conducted in-depth research and judgment on the new situations and new problems faced by my country's grassroots governance, scientifically summarized the universal laws of my country's grassroots governance, and systematically answered what is grassroots governance in the new era and how to promote it. Major issues such as grassroots governance in the new era have become the fundamental basis for strengthening and innovating grassroots governance in our country.
The "combination of three governance" of autonomy, rule of law and governance of morality, also known as "integration of three governance", originated from the practical innovation of Tongxiang City in Zhejiang Province when dealing with frequent and overlapping social conflicts. It was later written into the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. , "Regulations on the Work of Rural Grassroots Organizations of the Communist Party of China", as well as documents such as the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Strengthening the Modernization of Grassroots Governance Systems and Governance Capabilities". The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China wrote "an urban and rural grassroots governance system that combines autonomy, rule of law, and rule of virtue under the leadership of party organizations" into the "Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centenary Struggle", fully stating that " "The combination of three governance" plays an important role and significance in grassroots governance.
The "combination of the three governances" of autonomy, rule of law, and rule of virtue is conducive to gathering strength, uniting people's hearts, maximizing the vitality of grassroots development, and is an effective way to achieve good governance at the grassroots level. Improving the leadership of party organizations is the political guarantee for effectively promoting the "integration of three governance". It is necessary to give full play to the leading role of grassroots party organizations in rural governance and form a system under the leadership of party organizations of "doing major things together, everyone judging the good and bad, and having someone responsible for everything." A new pattern of grassroots governance based on “management”.
The leadership of the party organization is the guide, autonomy is the foundation, the rule of law is the guarantee, and the rule of morality is the education. Autonomy means that the people are the masters of the country, improve the self-governance mechanism of the grassroots masses under the leadership of grassroots party organizations, and implement self-management, self-service, self-education, and self-supervision by the masses; rule of law means adhering to the comprehensive rule of law, legalizing grassroots social governance, and establishing awareness of the rule of law among the grassroots people ; Governance by virtue is to tap into the essence of China’s excellent traditional culture, form an effective supplement to grassroots governance, and promote the formation of a good situation in which ordinary people’s good deeds are endless and upward kindness has become a common practice. The combination of autonomy, rule of law and rule of virtue is not a mechanical superposition, but a systematic integration of the three governance mechanisms. The three are independent but closely related to each other, and must adhere to a three-pronged approach to work together.
Adhere to the clear orientation of focusing on the grassroots and promote party building to lead the modernization of grassroots governance
Reporter: To do a good job in the basic work of modernizing grassroots governance, how should we strengthen the leadership of party building?
Hao Yaguang: General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The most solid support for the party’s work lies at the grassroots level, and the most prominent contradictions and problems in economic and social development and people’s livelihood are also at the grassroots level. Laying the foundation at the grassroots level must be regarded as a long-term plan and a solid foundation. We must not relax at all.” The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China stated: “Improving the social governance system of joint construction, joint governance and sharing, improving the efficiency of social governance” and “promoting party building to lead grassroots governance.”
The party’s leadership is the fundamental guarantee for strengthening the modernization of grassroots governance systems and governance capabilities. In grassroots governance, improving the leadership of party organizations is the key to improving governance efficiency and ensuring social stability and harmony.
Adhere to theoretical arming and ideological guidance. On the one hand, it is necessary to strengthen the theoretical training of party members and cadres, continuously improve the political theoretical literacy and policy and regulatory level, and ensure that the decision-making and actions of the party organization always adhere to the correct political direction. On the other hand, we must carry out in-depth ideological and political work to guide the grassroots masses to establish correct values and enhance the cohesion of grassroots village communities.
Adhere to organizational building and capacity improvement. On the one hand, we must strengthen the construction of the party organization itself, optimize the organizational structure, and improve organizational efficiency. On the other hand, we must focus on improving the professional capabilities and service levels of party members and cadres, especially their ability to solve complex social problems and provide public services, to ensure that grassroots governance under the leadership of party organizations is more professional and efficient.
Adhere to mass work and social mobilization. On the one hand, we must strengthen and improve mass work and give full play to the role of party organizations in social mobilization and organizational coordination. On the other hand, it is necessary to establish and improve the mass participation mechanism to stimulate the subjectivity, enthusiasm and creativity of residents to participate in community governance, and make full use of the wisdom and strength of the masses to jointly solve community problems.
Persist in innovative exploration of grassroots governance. Party organizations should play a leading role in encouraging and promoting the exploration and innovation of governance models and mechanisms. At the same time, party organizations should support and attract social forces to participate in grassroots governance, and create a grassroots governance pattern of co-construction, co-governance and sharing through multiple forms and mechanisms.
Liu Mingwei: In his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized “building grassroots party organizations into a strong fighting fortress for effectively realizing the party’s leadership.” In the new era and new journey, we must promote party building to lead grassroots governance. We must improve the party’s leadership system that oversees the overall situation and coordinates all parties, integrate the party’s leadership into all aspects of the entire process of grassroots governance, and promote the deep integration of grassroots party building and grassroots governance.
Adhere to political guidance to ensure that grassroots governance develops healthily in the right direction. Adhere to organizational leadership and use party organizations to lead various organizations to become the party’s “right-hand arm” and add strength to grassroots governance. Grassroots party organizations use political mobilization, structural embedding, resource integration and other methods to promote the link between the party and society, exert the "social construction" effect of community party building, and achieve the orderly organization of social forces in the grassroots field.
Adhere to capability guidance and lead various organizations to master negotiation methods in coordinating the interests of all parties, seize contradictions, professionally standardize and handle them securely in handling complex issues, mediating conflicts and disputes, and handling emergencies. Adhere to the guidance of mechanisms and improve the residents' autonomy mechanism, democratic consultation mechanism, mass group-driven mechanism, and social participation mechanism under the leadership of the party organization, so that the leadership of party building can be grasped, easy to operate, and lasting.
In the final analysis, the modernization of grassroots governance must be based on the goal of realizing the people's yearning for a better life. The key is to adhere to and implement the party's mass line well, and to solve the people's urgent needs and worries with heart, emotion and force. We must adhere to the people-centered approach, adhere to and develop the "Maple Bridge Experience" in the new era, and take serving the people and benefiting the people as the starting point and goal of grassroots governance. The modernization of grassroots social governance requires not only the participation of all people, but also joint construction in the process of solving the common demands of all people. (China Discipline Inspection and Supervision News reporter Xue Peng)