Developing Whole-Process People’s Democracy Is a Systemic Project

On 2 November 2019, when inspecting the community-level legislative outreach office in Hongqiao Subdistrict, Changning District, Shanghai, General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively put forward the important concept of “whole-process democracy.” On 11 March 2021, the Decision on Amending the Organic Law of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, adopted at the Fourth Session of the 13th National People’s Congress, wrote “whole-process democracy” into national law. On 1 July 2021, in his speech at the ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping called for “acting on a people-centered development philosophy and developing whole-process people’s democracy.” The addition of the word “people’s” to “whole-process democracy” reflects that the essence of socialist democracy is people’s democracy. The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century, adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, incorporated “developing whole-process people’s democracy” as an important element of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the “Ten Definites.” [1]1 The “Ten Definites” (十个明确) is a summary of the core components of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, first formally listed in the Party’s historical resolution of November 2021. The 20th National Congress of the CPC stressed that people’s democracy is the lifeblood of socialism and an integral part of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and proposed to further “enhance the institutionalization, standardization, and proceduralization of whole-process people’s democracy.” The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee made clear that “developing whole-process people’s democracy is an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization” and made comprehensive arrangements for “improving the institutional system of whole-process people’s democracy.”

2019年11月2日，习近平总书记考察上海市长宁区虹桥街道基层立法联系点时，创造性地提出了“全过程民主”的重要概念。2021年3月11日，十三届全国人大四次会议通过的《关于修改〈中华人民共和国全国人民代表大会组织法〉的决定》，将“全过程民主”写入国家法律。2021年7月1日，在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上的讲话中，习近平总书记提出要“践行以人民为中心的发展思想，发展全过程人民民主”。在“全过程民主”的基础上加入了“人民”二字，体现了社会主义民主的本质是人民民主。党的十九届六中全会通过的《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》将“发展全过程人民民主”作为习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的重要内容纳入“十个明确”之中。党的二十大强调人民民主是社会主义的生命，是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的应有之义，提出要进一步提高“全过程人民民主制度化、规范化、程序化水平”。党的二十届三中全会明确“发展全过程人民民主是中国式现代化的本质要求”，对“健全全过程人民民主制度体系”进行了全面部署。

“Whole-process people’s democracy” is a practical summation and theoretical integration of the Party’s leadership of the people in pursuing, practicing, and developing democracy. Since its founding, our Party has always held high the banner of people’s democracy, leading the Chinese people in striving for more genuine and effective democracy. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has profoundly analyzed the characteristics of the times, deepened its understanding of the laws governing the development of democratic politics, systematically summarized the practice of socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics, and, in response to the demands of the times, creatively put forward this major concept. It has implemented the democratic concept throughout the entire process of modernizing the national governance system and governance capacity, forming a democratic institutional system that is full-chain, all-encompassing, and full-coverage, and demonstrating to the world the Chinese people’s unremitting pursuit of democratic values and their continuous exploration of rich democratic practice methods under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

“全过程人民民主”是党领导人民追求民主、践行民主、发展民主的实践总结和理论集成。我们党自诞生起就始终高举人民民主的旗帜，带领中国人民为追求更真实更有效的民主努力奋斗。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央深刻分析时代发展的特征，深化对民主政治发展规律的认识，在系统总结中国特色社会主义民主实践的基础上，顺应时代发展的要求，创造性提出了这一重大理念，将民主理念贯彻到国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的全过程，形成了全链条、全方位、全覆盖的民主制度体系，向世界展示了中国共产党领导的中国人民对民主价值的不懈追求和对丰富民主实践方式的不断探索。

As a completely new theoretical concept, moving from being known to being recognized, then to being integrated into daily life and practical action, and further to receiving theoretical and systematic elaboration, becoming an organic component of the Party’s innovative theory, still requires a great deal of in-depth and solid work. Currently, there are still some shortcomings in this field in terms of theoretical construction, practical implementation, and publicity and popularization. First, the depth and systematicity of related research need further improvement. At present, the theoretical community has conducted a large amount of research and publicity on whole-process people’s democracy, deepening the understanding of the laws governing the development of democratic politics. However, overall, there are still not enough achievements that treat whole-process people’s democracy as an academic concept for theoretical research and interpretation. There is still a lack of clear and systematic theoretical definition of whole-process people’s democracy. Research based on different disciplines such as political science, public administration, and law, especially on the position of whole-process people’s democracy in the genealogy of democratic theory, comparisons with other types of democracy, and particularly studies on the operational mechanisms and principles of governance practice, is still relatively limited. Academic research and theoretical publicity need further integration and complementarity. Second, the summarization and refinement of relevant practical practices need further deepening. Whole-process people’s democracy is both a theoretical issue and a major practical problem. Currently, various departments are very concerned about this new formulation and new discourse of whole-process people’s democracy. Localities have also carried out rich democratic innovation practices, actively demonstrating practical approaches in various fields, providing valuable practical resources for developing whole-process people’s democracy. However, the refinement of these experiences is not yet deep enough; precision and concretization need to be strengthened. How to further expand the institutional practice of whole-process people’s democracy requires richer and more systematic research results. Third, there is more domestic publicity and less international explanation. At present, the foreign language translations of the concept “whole-process people’s democracy” are not yet unified, and its scope of dissemination is relatively limited. In international exchanges, the international community is still unfamiliar with and does not understand whole-process people’s democracy, and there are even certain cognitive biases. In response to these problems, we must, on the basis of existing achievements, further advance the publicity, research, and interpretation of whole-process people’s democracy, the summarization and elevation of practice, and exchange, interaction, and consensus-building, and study the pathways for advancing whole-process people’s democracy from multiple dimensions.

作为一个全新的理论概念，从被熟知到被认同，再到融入日常生活和实践行动中，进而得到学理化系统化阐释，成为党的创新理论的有机组成部分，还有大量深入扎实的工作有待去做。目前，该领域在理论构建、实践展开和宣传普及方面还存在一些不足。第一，相关研究的深度和系统性有待进一步提升。目前，理论界针对全过程人民民主开展了大量的研究、宣传，深化了对民主政治发展规律的认识。但整体来看，将全过程人民民主作为一个学术概念进行学理性研究阐释的成果还不够多，对全过程人民民主还缺乏明确、系统的学理界定，基于政治学、公共管理、法学等不同学科，对全过程人民民主在民主理论谱系中的地位、与其他民主类型的比较，尤其是针对治理实践的运作机制和机理的研究还比较有限，学术研究与理论宣传还需要进一步融合、互补。第二，对相关实践做法的总结提炼有待进一步深入。全过程人民民主既是理论议题，又是重大的现实问题。目前，各部门都非常关注全过程人民民主这个新提法、新论述，各地也开展了丰富的民主创新实践，积极展现了各领域的实践做法，为发展全过程人民民主提供了宝贵的现实资源。但对这些经验的提炼还不够深入，精细化、具体化有待加强。如何进一步拓展全过程人民民主的制度实践，需要更为丰富系统的研究成果。第三，对内宣传较多，对外阐释较少。目前，“全过程人民民主”这个概念在外文译法上还不统一，传播范围也较为有限；在国际交流中，国际社会对于全过程人民民主还不熟悉、不了解，甚至存在一定的认识偏颇。针对这些问题，我们要在已有成果的基础之上，进一步推进全过程人民民主的宣传研究阐释、实践总结提升、交流互动共识，多维度研究全过程人民民主的推进路径。

Fully recognize the epochal significance of developing whole-process people’s democracy. For a large country like China, choosing the right path of democratic development is crucial. The reason whole-process people’s democracy can demonstrate vigorous vitality is that it conforms to China’s national conditions, fully highlights the principal position of the people, enables the people’s will to be better reflected, the people’s rights and interests to be better safeguarded, and the people’s creative vitality to be further stimulated. Currently, as we advance the process of building a modern socialist country in all respects, facing more complex and diverse situations and more severe struggles, we must develop broader, fuller, and more robust democracy, continuously summarize innovative practices in all aspects, at all levels, and in all fields, better reveal the characteristics and advantages of whole-process people’s democracy, further clarify its position in the genealogy of democratic development, and further strengthen the confidence and determination to advance Chinese-style democracy.

充分认识发展全过程人民民主的时代意义。对中国这样一个大国来说，选择什么样的民主发展道路至关重要。全过程人民民主之所以能展现蓬勃生命力，是因为符合中国国情，充分彰显了人民主体地位，使人民意志得到更好体现、人民权益得到更好保障、人民创造活力进一步激发。当前，我们在全面建设社会主义现代化国家进程中，面对更加复杂多样的形势、更加严峻的斗争，更要发展更加广泛、更加充分、更加健全的民主，不断总结各方面、各层次、各领域的创新实践，更好揭示全过程人民民主的特点和优势，把全过程人民民主在民主发展谱系中的地位更加明确化，进一步坚定推进中国式民主的自信和决心。

Promote the deepening and development of theoretical research on whole-process people’s democracy. For a long time, Western countries have dominated the development of democratic theory and have attached many “labels” to democracy. In recent years, the Western-style democratic system centered on competitive elections has faced major challenges. The world needs a new understanding of democracy and the formation of new theoretical paradigms of democracy. In this regard, we should actively promote theoretical research on whole-process people’s democracy, organize high-level scientific research, systematically summarize China’s democratic practice, continuously expand research horizons, further strengthen the transformation of political discourse into academic discourse, and form more solid and persuasive research results. At the same time, centering on developing whole-process people’s democracy, we should proactively promote international academic exchange and dialogue, carry out international academic cooperation, create an atmosphere for dialogue and exchange, and, together with people from all over the world, in the spirit of mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences, jointly enrich and develop human political civilization.

推动全过程人民民主理论研究的深化发展。长期以来，西方国家主导着民主理论的发展，并给民主贴上了诸多“标签”。近年来，以竞争性选举为核心的西式民主制度遭到重大挑战，世界需要对民主有新的认识，形成新的民主理论范式。对此，我们应积极推动全过程人民民主的理论研究，组织高水平科研，系统总结中国民主实践，不断拓展研究视野，进一步加强政治话语向学术话语的转化，形成更扎实、更有说服力的研究成果。同时，围绕发展全过程人民民主，主动推动国际学术交流对话，开展国际学术合作，营造对话交流的氛围，同世界各国人民一道，本着相互尊重、求同存异的精神，共同丰富发展人类政治文明。

In practical exploration, consolidate the synergy of all parties in the national governance system. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must continue to advance the construction of whole-process people’s democracy, embodying the people being the masters of the country concretely and realistically in the Party’s policies and measures for governing the country, concretely and realistically in the work of all aspects and at all levels of the Party and state organs, and concretely and realistically in the work of realizing the people’s aspiration for a better life.” [2]2 This quotation is from Xi Jinping’s speech at the Central Conference on Work Related to People’s Congresses in October 2021. In terms of democratic participation, whole-process people’s democracy is an “all-encompassing” democracy, a matter in which every level, every department, and every subject in the national governance system should actively participate. It concerns not only major national affairs and difficult issues in social governance but also the trivial matters of people’s daily lives. It requires greater attention to the holistic nature of content and the synergy of operation. We should further carry forward the fine traditions formed by our Party in democratic construction, starting from multiple dimensions such as democracy as a work style, as a working method, as an institutional regulation, and as a value pursuit, encourage innovative exploration, strengthen summarization and elevation, fully mobilize the positive factors from all sides, form the broadest possible consensus and synergy, and advance whole-process people’s democracy in a holistic and systematic manner.

在实践探索中凝聚国家治理体系各方主体的合力。习近平总书记强调：“我们要继续推进全过程人民民主建设，把人民当家作主具体地、现实地体现到党治国理政的政策措施上来，具体地、现实地体现到党和国家机关各个方面各个层级工作上来，具体地、现实地体现到实现人民对美好生活向往的工作上来。”在民主参与上，全过程人民民主是一种“全方位”的民主，是国家治理体系中每个层级、每个部门、每个主体都应该积极参与的事情，既关涉国家大事、社会治理难事，也关涉百姓日常生活琐事，需要更加关注内容上的整体性和运行上的协同性。应当将我们党在民主建设中形成的优良传统进一步发扬光大，从民主作为作风、作为工作方法、作为制度规定、作为价值追求等多个维度出发，鼓励创新探索，加强总结提升，将各个方面的积极因素充分调动起来，形成最大范围的共识合力，整体、系统地推进全过程人民民主。

Better implement the concept of whole-process people’s democracy into existing democratic institutional arrangements. A comprehensive, extensive, and organically connected institutional system of the people being the masters of the country is a reliable institutional guarantee for developing whole-process people’s democracy. At present, we should further enhance the operational effectiveness of these institutions in practice, providing strong momentum for systematically improving the efficacy of national governance. In particular, we should further promote and improve the system of people’s congresses, which is the fundamental political system of our country, fully leverage the important role of this system as an institutional carrier in developing whole-process people’s democracy, and manifest the requirements of whole-process people’s democracy from the source of power. For example, further strengthen the coordination capacity of people’s congresses in legislation, optimize oversight methods and means, continuously improve the rules of procedure for people’s congresses and the systems for argumentation, evaluation, review, and hearings, improve the working mechanisms for absorbing public opinion and pooling collective wisdom, and ensure that the legislative, oversight, decision-making, and appointment and removal powers of people’s congresses and their standing committees are effectively exercised, that the oversight by people’s congresses over administrative, supervisory, adjudicative, and procuratorial organs is concretely implemented, and that the work capacity of deputies to people’s congresses is practically enhanced.

将全过程人民民主理念更好贯彻到现有的民主制度安排之中。全面、广泛、有机衔接的人民当家作主制度体系，是发展全过程人民民主的可靠制度保障。当前，我们应当在实践中进一步提升这些制度的运行效果，为系统提升国家治理效能提供强劲动能。尤其是进一步推动完善作为我国根本政治制度的人民代表大会制度，充分发挥这一制度在发展全过程人民民主中的重要制度载体作用，从权力源头来彰显全过程人民民主的要求。例如，进一步增强人大在立法中的协调能力，优化监督方式和手段，持续健全人大议事规则和论证、评估、评议、听证制度，健全吸纳民意、汇集民智工作机制等，确保人大及其常委会的立法权、监督权、决定权、任免权得到有效行使，人大对行政机关、监察机关、审判机关、检察机关的监督得到具体落实，人大代表的工作能力得到切实提升。

Explore and develop an indicator system for measuring the efficacy of democratic governance from the perspective of whole-process people’s democracy. Developing whole-process people’s democracy requires not only further summarizing experience and refining models in the practice of national governance but also, based on the Chinese practice of whole-process people’s democracy, summarizing the important values demonstrated by whole-process people’s democracy, the composition of its institutions, and the effects produced, so as to build a system for measuring democracy that differs from the Western-dominated one. This will clearly and objectively display the development process and actual form of Chinese-style democracy, provide more operational, measurable, and comparable practical guidance for developing whole-process people’s democracy, help Chinese-style democracy proceed accurately, steadily, and solidly, and better explain to the world the Chinese solution of whole-process people’s democracy.

探索发展从全过程人民民主视角衡量民主治理效能的指标体系。发展全过程人民民主，既要在国家治理实践中进一步总结经验、提炼模式，也应当基于全过程人民民主的中国实践，总结全过程人民民主彰显的重要价值、制度的构成、产生的效果等，建设不同于西方主导的民主测量指标体系，清晰、客观展示中国式民主的发展进程、现实样态，为发展全过程人民民主提供更具操作性、可衡量、可比较的实践指引，助推中国式民主走准、走稳、走实，向世界更好阐释全过程人民民主的中国方案。

(The author is the chair of the Department of Political Science at Tsinghua University.)

（作者系清华大学政治学系主任）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心