Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 6, 2025

The Practice of Grassroots Governance Toward Mass Conscious Action

(Abstract)

Gui Hua and He Xuefeng

With the steady and effective advancement of the rural vitalization strategy, the investment in rural-focused resources has created favorable conditions for peasants to pursue a better life. However, under a resource allocation framework that is project-driven, technology-supported, and administratively led, peasants’ initiative for public participation remains limited despite their access to government-provided public services. This has produced a paradox in grassroots work: political effectiveness coexists with low governance efficiency. Drawing on institutional advantages that encourage grassroots reform, some regions have adopted innovative resource allocation models. These approaches integrate mass participation and demand articulation throughout the resource implementation process, addressing project-based limitations while achieving more effective use of resources. The key to optimizing resource allocation to rural areas lies in establishing structured institutional mechanisms that transform state resources into village assets. This approach activates village-level governance through state investment, ultimately enhancing people’s initiative and collective action capabilities in rural revitalization practices. Finding practical ways to transform the CPC’s correct policies into the people’s conscious actions, and promoting the organic integration of “working for the farmers” with “relying on the farmers,” represents a vital expression of the mass line in the new era.