抄録
Aiming at advancing grassroots democracy in rural society, the Villagers’ Representative Assembly was newly established at each village by the Chinese government after decollectivization. Although this new political institution was expected to promote villagers’ political participation, its substantial influences over the self-governance processes in local community have not been sufficiently examined.
Based on field researches at a village in Hebei providence in 1994, 1996, and 1997, this paper first describes the organization process of the Villagers’ Representative Assembly in the village, and then examines the impact of the VRA over decision making processes.
I conclude that the VRA does not seem to have changed the past ways of decision making in the village. Both cadres and other villagers are rather likely to make use of it selectively in accordance with their own interests; villagers rely upon this new system only when cadres violate their norms that are embedded in the nature of local community.
