Modernization Of Governing In Chinese Urban Community: Theoretical Analysis And Path Selection

“The development of national governance system and modernization of governing capability” in China,as a brand new political theory,consists with the general tendency in political development.The modernization of both governance system and the governing capability of the Chinese urban communityare essential components,social bases of the modernization of national governance.Regarding “how to systematically promote the modernization of urban community governance” as the research direction,combining the deficiencies and difficulties of present research in the modernization of Chinese urban community governance as clues,going through analyses and discussions from different dimensions including theoretical basis,concept interpretation,evaluation system,historical development and institutional basis,experimental exploring cases,international tendencies and valuable enlightenment from Hong Kong,Macau and Taiwan,in order to clear up theoretical support for the modernization of Chinese urban community governing.Hopefully,suggestions in institutional improvement and practice route can be raised and further answer questions from ascientific and systematic level in the modernization of Chinese urban community governing in a relatively comprehensive and accurate way.Modernization is a series of process that modern factors and organizational patterns constantly has in the ground-breaking change or revolution from lower to higher level.The modernization of China regards modernization of economy in its early phases as a core,and gradually develops the overall layout of its modernization after the reform and open-up.For over fifty years of construction in economy,politics,culture,social and ecological civilization,the modernization of “Five in One” has already surpassed western modernization which takes the modernization of economy and materials as its standards.Along the way that China develops on the process of modernization,theoretically speaking,states come from the society but stay above it,which can be regarded as a tool of an ultimate and integrated social benefit with decisive effects in social governing,to alleviate social contradictions in various ways including comprehensive applications in policing,economy,legislation and social welfare.People is the fundamental factor in social system,and the function of social interaction,social orientation and development of social heritage are getting more and more prominent in modern society.The communication and interaction between individuals,groups,organizations,regions and countries,as well as the normative of competition and cooperation,need to be supplied by the society.The degree of modern social organization has become higher,with interaction between factors and systems in the society,driving the change and development of the society.For over thirty years of reform and open-up,as well as the construction of socialist market economy,people have realized the disadvantages in the process of control and coordination by states and markets.They further emphasize that government has no longer in a definite dominant position in the governance of public affairs.Rather,multiple subjects should participate in shared governance and for the society and communities to participate in self-governance.Community is “a social life community that people constitute within a certain geographical area”.Community governance is in a precondition of legislation and normalization,where multiple subjects including community party organizations,community self-government organizations,community non-profit organizations,jurisdiction units,and community citizens manage activities in communities’ public affairs altogether.Urban community governing system is the general term of constitutional framework,organizational system,rules of mechanisms and strategic methods of public affairs in communities.The modernization of community governance system is not trying to oppose its traditional and modern perspectives binarily.Rather,it refers to the accomplishment of the transition in modernization of its traditional governing resources.The capabilities of urban community governance,are both the capability of management service that government has in community,and the capability of community in self-governing.To be specific,these include the capability of community management,service,negotiation,self-governing,executive and surveillance.In other words,the modernization of capabilities of community governance are the transition of modernization in integrated organization towards community citizens,as well as the facilities and approaches that citizens can do in participating in community affairs.The modernization of urban community governing is a process in pursuing modernization constantly,and we can describe and evaluate it from three perspectives.Firstly,more plural and rational community governing objects.The modernization of community governance means that a series of social public agencies and actors from,but not restricted to,the government,to enter as the principle part in community governance.Secondly,more open and scientific governing structure.The core depends on whether it is possible to achieve a transition of governing pattern from a single-sided control one to an open and inclusive one.Thirdly,a more democratic and legitimate governing method.Public policies of community affairs fundamentally reflect will and dominant role of community citizens,since urban community governance and institutional arrange should all guarantee popular sovereignty and resident ownership.To be specific,evaluation factors should include the following six ones.Firstly,the ideas of community governing are keeping pace with the times,and they lead to a constant enhancement of the construction,organization and guiding function of modernization of community governance.Secondly,gradual improvement of top-level design and institutional construction of community governance.Thirdly,a growing enhancement of community culture.Traditional and excellent community culture has effectively protected,developed and utilized,and hence establish a new sense of value in communities.Fourthly,a clearly defined rights and liabilities,cooperation and collaboration and coordinated operation of multi-objects in community governing.Fifthly,the work in community has developed toward a professionalized direction,and an increasing tendency has formed which government starts to purchase various types of community service from community organization.Sixthly,specific administration to deal with community problems or conflicts scientifically,which focus highly on community.The development trend of community governing using a global point of view,has apparent characteristics of modernization.They can be seen from several perspectives,such as the complementarity of community self-governing and government management,the legalization of governance pattern,the pluralism of governing subjects,the diversification of community service,the professionalization of governing capabilities,participation and cooperation of collaborative governance,and the expedite update of poor communities.Having studied the governing process,governing system and strategies of communities in Hong Kong,Macau and Taiwan,it is revealing in their outstanding characteristics in participating in community governing,the flattened design of governance system,the negotiated interaction of policy guidance,the governing approaches of vertical interaction,the patterns of community service supply in marketization,and service standards in professionality and humanization.All these outstanding characteristics contain enlightenment value.Based on the process of Chinese urban community governing,and institutional evolution of governing as historical foundation and institutional basis,cities in China have gradually started to have experimental exploration of the modernization of community governance.Zhuhai,a city of Guangdong Province that has innovative practice in different aspects for instance laws and regulation,social organization,volunteer service,public service and financial budgeting,leading to an apparent improvement in community environment and life quality,a remarkable enhancement in the well-being of people’s livelihood and public service,an increasing heighten of community relation and recognition,a constant releasing of social vitality as well as spirit of innovation and an obvious strengthening of perception of safety in communities,contains sample value in top-level system flow,liquid social recognition,promotion of community self-governing and completion of community negotiation.Six typical Chinese urban communities including Dongcheng District in Beijing,Shenhe District in Shenyang,Heping District in Tianjin,Yantian District in Shenzhen,Xuhui District in Shanghaiand Tianhe District in Guangzhou have modern attempts in community governance from different aspects,which also contain significant meaning.According to the analysis of experimental cases,transition of patterns and paths of development have been cleared out from a practical level that Chinese urban community governance has initially experienced,from unitary to pluralism,from centralization to separation of state of power,from “the rule of man” to “the rule of law” and from regulation to service.Based on theoretical explanations and case analysis,community governing system,community governing capabilities are constantly transiting and improving,so that the level of community governing will naturally develop towards modernization.At the same time,all these three aspects above has close relationship in synthetic development,which needs to coordinate and effectively link up among each other.Ways of implementation should promote governing theories,institutions,structures,community culture,service and specific administration in urban community,based on situation of China,leading to a way of modernization in urban community governing with Chinese characteristics.