By Liu Lihui, Research Team on “Innovation and Development of Social Governance in China”, Institute of Public Administration and Human Resources, DRC

Research Report, No.85, 2018 (Total 5360) 2018-5-15

Abstract: Social governance in China is a systematic project under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee to safeguard the social harmony and stability by coordinating with all parties in the society. The report of the 19th CPC National Congress proposes that China should build a social governance pattern featured by joint development, co-governance and sharing. It puts forward new requirements for the government to change social governance ideas and innovative governance models. This paper analyzes mainly the role of government in China’s social governance and the government’s four major functions, including political leadership, policy-making, maintenance of stability, and public services. It discusses the functional boundaries of government and society in the New Era, and analyzes the connection between the bureaucratic governance model and the pattern of “joint development, co-governance and sharing” from the perspective of the government’s governance, grass-roots self-governance, and the relationship between the government, market and society. The paper puts forward the key tasks for the government to promote its transformation of functions in the social governance. The rights and liabilities of the government in social governance should be clarified, the administrative capacity and efficiency of the government improved, the main parties to participate in social governance in an orderly manner guided, the legal administration and rule of law in social governance promoted, and the positive interaction between government governance and self-adjustment and self-management of society achieved.

Key words: social governance, government function, law-based administration of government