The Party’s Self-Revolution Focuses on Governing Power

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that “the ‘Four Forms of Decadence’[1]1 A formulation by Xi Jinping emphasizing the fundamental importance of Party building work for Party officials. mostly originate from privilege thinking, and the prominent manifestation of corruption is the abuse of power for personal gain. Therefore, the Party’s self-revolution focuses on governing power,” and “the Party’s self-revolution focuses on governing power; putting power into the cage of institutions is an important task of comprehensive and strict governance of the Party in the New Era.” These important judgments precisely grasp the intrinsic connection between self-revolution and power governance, revealing the core essence and practical path of advancing the Party’s self-revolution in the New Era. The Party’s self-revolution is essentially a project of power purification that turns the blade inward. Only by taking the governance of power as the key lever—by regulating the operation of power to build a solid institutional foundation, by strengthening whole-process supervision to prevent the alienation of power, by cultivating an ethics of power to consolidate endogenous momentum, and by implementing the responsibility for governing power to form a joint working force—can we fundamentally eradicate the soil that breeds misconduct and corruption, ensuring that the Party always maintains its advanced nature and purity and always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

习近平总书记指出，“‘四风’大多源于特权思想，腐败突出表现是以权谋私。因此，党的自我革命重在治权”，“党的自我革命重在治权，把权力关进制度笼子是新时代全面从严治党的一项重要任务”。这些重要论断精准把握了自我革命与权力治理的内在关联，揭示了新时代推进党的自我革命的核心要义与实践路径。党的自我革命本质上是刀刃向内的权力净化工程，唯有将治权作为关键抓手，通过规范权力运行筑牢制度根基，通过强化全程监督防范权力异化，通过涵养权力伦理凝聚内生动力，通过落实治权责任形成工作合力，才能从根本上铲除不正之风和腐败滋生的土壤，确保党始终保持先进性和纯洁性，始终成为中国特色社会主义事业的坚强领导核心。

Regulating the Operation of Power

规范权力运行

The core of regulating the operation of power lies in constructing an institutional system that unifies the authorization, exercise, and checks on power, putting power into the cage of institutions. The root cause of the loss of control over power operations often lies in unscientific allocation: either blurred power boundaries lead to “overstepping authority,” or excessive concentration of power leads to “arbitrary power,” or a lack of power supervision causes “abuse of power.” To advance the Party’s self-revolution, we must first simultaneously break and establish in the allocation of power, building a solid institutional defense line.

规范权力运行的核心在于构建授权用权制权相统一的制度体系，把权力关进制度笼子。权力运行失控的根源往往在于配置不科学，要么权力边界模糊导致“越权”，要么权力过于集中引发“专权”，要么权力监督缺位造成“滥权”。推进党的自我革命，必须首先在权力配置上破立并举，筑牢制度防线。

Clarifying boundaries in the setting of power. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has formulated and revised a large number of intra-Party regulations and national laws and regulations, gradually building a power list system with clear powers and responsibilities. From the perspective of the institutional function of power checks and supervision, clear power boundaries are the basic prerequisite for preventing power abuse. In practice, we should further focus on key areas such as major policy formulation, approval of major projects, allocation of large sums of funds, and selection and appointment of cadres, detailing the scope, procedures, and responsibilities of power exercise, clarifying “which powers can be used and which cannot,” so that power operations have rules to follow, and compressing the space for power rent-seeking at the institutional level.

权力设定上明确边界。党的十八大以来，我们党制定修订大量党内法规和国家法律法规，逐步构建起权责清晰的权力清单制度。从权力制约监督的制度功能来看，清晰的权力边界是防范权力滥用的基础前提。实践中，应进一步聚焦重大政策制定、重大工程审批、大额资金安排、干部选拔任用等关键领域，细化权力行使的范围、程序和责任，明确“什么权能用、什么权不能用”，让权力运行有章可循，从制度层面压缩权力寻租空间。

Strengthening checks and balances and coordination in the power structure. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that “democratic centralism, as the Party’s fundamental organizational principle and leadership system, must be fully implemented in the deliberation and decision-making of leading bodies, and no one is allowed to place themselves above the organization or above the collective of the leading body.” Democratic centralism, as the Party’s fundamental organizational principle and leadership system, is an important guarantee against excessive concentration of power. Advancing the governance of power must implement democratic centralism, adhere to the principle of collective leadership in the deliberation and decision-making of leading bodies, with major matters decided through collective discussion, and build a power structure and operational mechanism in which decision-making power, executive power, and supervisory power both check and coordinate with each other, forming a pattern of power operation with scientific decision-making, resolute execution, and effective supervision.

权力结构上强化制衡与协同。习近平总书记指出，“民主集中制作为党的根本组织原则和领导制度，必须在领导班子议事决策中全面贯彻，任何人都不准凌驾于组织之上、凌驾于班子集体之上”。民主集中制作为党的根本组织原则和领导制度，是防范权力过度集中的重要保障。推进治权必须执行民主集中制，在领导班子议事决策中坚持集体领导原则，重大事项经集体讨论决定，构建决策权、执行权、监督权既相互制约又相互协调的权力结构和运行机制，形成决策科学、执行坚决、监督有力的权力运行格局。

Achieving transparency and traceability in power procedures. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that to regulate the operation of power, we must improve the “clear, transparent, and traceable institutional mechanism.” The digital age provides technical support for standardizing power procedures. By establishing a clear, transparent, and traceable mechanism for power operation, the entire process of power exercise can be recorded and verified. The “technology + institution” supervision model breaks the time and space limitations of traditional supervision, keeping the entire process of power operation “under the sun.” This is not only a basic requirement of modern political civilization for power operation but also an effective path to prevent behind-the-scenes manipulation and ensure the orderly exercise of power.

权力流程上实现透明与可溯。习近平总书记强调，规范权力运行，要健全“清晰透明可追溯的制度机制”。数字化时代为权力流程规范提供了技术支撑，通过建立清晰透明可追溯的权力运行机制，能够让权力行使全程留痕、有据可查。“技术＋制度”的监管模式打破了传统监督的时空限制，让权力运行全程处于“阳光之下”，这既是现代政治文明对权力运行的基本要求，也是防范暗箱操作、保障权力有序行使的有效路径。

Strengthening Whole-Process Supervision

强化全程监督

The focus of strengthening whole-process supervision lies in building a coherent and coordinated supervision system. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to “supervise the operation of power throughout the entire process, effectively block various hidden rules from eroding public power, and prevent institutions from becoming dead letters.” This requires us to build a full-coverage, multi-level, and normalized supervision network, ensuring that supervision runs through the entire process of power operation.

强化全程监督的重点在于构建贯通协调的监督体系。习近平总书记强调，要“全过程监督权力运行，有效阻断各种潜规则对公权力的侵蚀，防止制度空转”。这要求我们必须构建全覆盖、多层次、常态化的监督网络，让监督贯穿权力运行全过程。

Focusing on key targets of supervision. The key to governing power lies in managing the “key minority.”[2]2 A requirement that Party officials are responsible both for their professional duties and for Party building work in their unit. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that “the focus should be on leading organs, leading cadres, especially ‘top leaders’ and cadres in key positions.” From the practice of power checks and supervision, the “key minority” holds a high degree of concentrated power with a wide scope of influence; whether their power operation is standardized directly affects the effectiveness of power governance. To advance full-coverage supervision, we must keep a close watch on the “key minority,” improve special supervision systems, and perfect the internal supervision mechanism of leading bodies, driving the “overwhelming majority” by managing the “key minority.”

聚焦监督重点对象。治权的关键在于管住“关键少数”。习近平总书记指出，“要以领导机关、领导干部特别是‘一把手’、关键岗位领导干部为重点对象”。从权力制约监督的实践来看，“关键少数”掌握的权力集中度高、影响范围广，其权力运行是否规范直接关系治权成效。推进监督全覆盖，必须紧盯“关键少数”，健全专项监督制度，完善领导班子内部监督机制，通过抓“关键少数”带动“绝大多数”。

Integrating diverse supervisory forces. The enhancement of supervision effectiveness cannot be separated from the coherence and coordination of various types of supervision. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “In terms of strict supervision, we must combine intra-Party supervision with people’s supervision, attach importance to playing the ‘outpost’ role of mass supervision and public opinion supervision, and promote the coherence and coordination of various types of supervision.” In the practice of the Party’s self-revolution, we have gradually built a supervision system led by intra-Party supervision and coordinated by various types of supervision, achieving the coordinated connection of disciplinary supervision, supervisory supervision, dispatched supervision, and inspection and巡视 supervision,[3]3 A system of graduated disciplinary measures used by the CPC’s discipline inspection organs, ranging from criticism and education to serious punishment and criminal referral. while simultaneously unblocking channels for mass supervision and public opinion supervision, forming a joint force of supervision.

整合多元监督力量。监督效能的提升离不开各类监督的贯通协调。习近平总书记指出：“在从严监督上，要把党内监督和人民监督结合起来，重视发挥群众监督、舆论监督‘前哨’作用，推动各类监督贯通协调。”在党的自我革命实践中，我们逐步构建起党内监督主导、各类监督协同的监督体系，实现纪律监督、监察监督、派驻监督、巡视巡察监督统筹衔接，同时畅通群众监督、舆论监督渠道，形成监督合力。

Deepening the simultaneous investigation and treatment of misconduct and corruption. Misconduct and corruption share the same root and are intertwined; the “Four Forms of Decadence” are the breeding ground for corruption, while corruption fuels the spread of the “Four Forms of Decadence.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Currently, the problem of the integration of misconduct and corruption is quite prominent; efforts to simultaneously investigate and treat misconduct and corruption must be intensified.” Strengthening power supervision must sever the chain linking misconduct and corruption. On the one hand, “investigate corruption through misconduct,” digging deep into the cliques, favor-seeking, and interest transfer behind the “Four Forms of Decadence,” exposing the true face of corruption by lifting the lid of “misconduct.” On the other hand, “rectify misconduct through corruption,” targeting the regional, industrial, and sectoral stubborn problems of work style reflected in corruption, using “joint treatment” to eradicate the common roots of misconduct and corruption, forming a closed loop of “investigation—rectification—standardization.”

深化风腐同查同治。不正之风与腐败同根同源、互为表里，“四风”是腐败滋生的温床，腐败则助长“四风”蔓延。习近平总书记指出：“当前，风腐一体问题比较突出，要加大风腐同查同治力度。”强化权力监督必须斩断风腐勾连链条，既“由风查腐”，深挖“四风”背后的团团伙伙、请托办事、利益输送等问题，通过揭开“风”的盖子揪出“腐”的真面目，又“由腐纠风”，针对腐败反映的地区性、行业性、领域性作风顽疾，以“同治”铲除风腐共性根源，形成“查处—整改—规范”的闭环。

Cultivating an Ethics of Power

涵养权力伦理

The core of cultivating an ethics of power lies in establishing and practicing a correct outlook on power. Institutional constraints and supervision belong to “heteronomy,” while the construction of an ethics of power is “self-discipline.” Only by combining “heteronomy” with “self-discipline” can the benign operation of power be achieved.

涵养权力伦理的核心在于树立和践行正确权力观。制度约束和监督制约属于“他律”，而权力伦理建设则是“自律”，唯有“他律”与“自律”相结合，才能实现权力的良性运行。

Building a solid value foundation for using power for the people. Power originates from the people and must be used for the people; this is the fundamental stance of the Marxist outlook on power. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Our Party has no special interests of its own; this is the source of our Party’s courage and confidence in daring to carry out self-revolution.” The reason why the Party’s self-revolution can win the people’s hearts lies precisely in its consistent adherence to using power for the people and seeking benefits for the people. In practice, by strengthening theoretical armament and conducting Party spirit education, we should guide Party members and cadres to properly solve the “master switch”[4]4 “Master switch” (总开关, zǒng kāiguān) is a metaphor used in CPC discourse for the fundamental worldview, outlook on life, and values that determine a person’s thoughts and actions. problem of their worldview, outlook on life, and values, deeply understand the people’s attribute of power, cultivate a deep sense of serving the people, and ensure the correct direction of power operation from the value level.

筑牢为民用权的价值根基。权力源于人民，必须用于人民，这是马克思主义权力观的根本立场。习近平总书记指出：“我们党没有任何自己特殊的利益，这是我们党敢于自我革命的勇气之源、底气所在。”党的自我革命之所以能赢得民心，关键就在于始终坚持权为民所用、利为民所谋。实践中，应通过强化理论武装、开展党性教育，引导党员干部解决好世界观、人生观、价值观“总开关”问题，深刻认识权力的人民属性，厚植为民情怀，从价值层面保障权力运行的正确方向。

Strengthening the disciplinary consciousness of using power with integrity. Discipline is the “tightening spell”[5]5 “Tightening spell” (紧箍咒, jǐn gū zhòu) is a reference to the magical headband spell from the classic Chinese novel *Journey to the West*, used here as a metaphor for binding disciplinary constraints. on power operation; only by engraving disciplinary rules in the heart can one ensure that power does not overstep boundaries. To advance the construction of an ethics of power, we must integrate discipline education into daily life and make it a regular practice, using diverse educational methods to make Party members and cadres know what to revere, guard against, and hold as their bottom line. From the ethical dimension of power checks and supervision, the cultivation of disciplinary consciousness is not only an important path for the formation of public officials’ moral concepts but also has a positive guiding role in raising the overall moral standards of society.

强化廉洁用权的纪律自觉。纪律是权力运行的“紧箍咒”，只有将纪律规矩刻印在心，才能做到权不逾矩。推进权力伦理建设，必须把纪律教育融入日常、抓在经常，通过多元教育方式让党员干部知敬畏、存戒惧、守底线。从权力制约监督的伦理维度来看，纪律自觉的培育不仅是公职人员道德观念形成的重要途径，更对社会道德水准提升具有正向引领作用。

Cultivating the behavioral habit of being cautious about power and careful in small matters. The risks of power operation are often hidden in details, and the loss of an ethics of power often begins with indulgence in small matters. To advance the governance of power, we must, in accordance with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s requirements, “conduct self-examination by comparing positive and negative examples, frequently brush away the ‘dust of thoughts,’[6]6 “Dust of thoughts” (思想尘, sīxiǎng chén) is a metaphor for impure or corrupting thoughts that accumulate in the mind. constantly ponder the ‘harm of greed,’[7]7 “Harm of greed” (贪欲害, tān yù hài) refers to the damage caused by greedy desires. and regularly break the ‘thief in the heart,’[8]8 “Thief in the heart” (心中贼, xīn zhōng zéi) is a classical allusion to the Ming-dynasty philosopher Wang Yangming, who spoke of the need to “break the thief in the heart” (破心中贼), meaning to overcome selfish and evil thoughts within oneself. ensuring that there is no reckless action externally by having no reckless thoughts internally,” and hold the bottom line in small matters and minor details. Only by always maintaining a sense of reverence for power, and never touching the red line of discipline and law at any time or under any circumstances, can we truly realize the internalization and practice of an ethics of power and ensure the benign state of power operation.

培育慎权慎微的行为习惯。权力运行的风险往往藏在细节之中，权力伦理的失守往往始于对细节的放纵。推进治权必须按照习近平总书记的要求，“要对照正反典型进行自我省察，勤掸‘思想尘’，多思‘贪欲害’，常破‘心中贼’，以内无妄思保证外无妄动”，在小事小节上守住底线。唯有始终保持对权力的敬畏之心，在任何时候、任何情况下都不触碰纪法红线，才能真正实现权力伦理的内化与践行，保障权力运行的良性状态。

Implementing the Responsibility for Governing Power

落实治权责任

The key to implementing the responsibility for governing power lies in constructing a chain of responsibility that transmits pressure level by level. The effectiveness of governing power ultimately depends on whether responsibility is implemented in place. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized, “Doing a good job in Party building is one’s duty; not doing Party building is dereliction of duty; doing a poor job in Party building is incompetence.” [1]1 A formulation by Xi Jinping emphasizing the fundamental importance of Party building work for Party officials. This important requirement equally applies to the work of governing power — doing a good job in power governance is one’s duty; not doing power governance is dereliction of duty; doing a poor job in power governance is incompetence.

落实治权责任的关键在于构建层层传导的责任链条。治权成效如何，最终取决于责任是否落实到位。习近平总书记强调，“抓好党建是本职，不抓党建是失职，抓不好党建是不称职”。这一重要要求同样适用于治权工作——抓好权力治理是本职，不抓权力治理是失职，抓不好权力治理是不称职。

Consolidate the main responsibility. Party organizations at all levels are the main bodies responsible for power governance and must incorporate governing power into the important content of managing and governing the Party, planning, deploying, and implementing it together with central work. In practice, a responsibility list for governing power should be established, prompting secretaries of Party committees (Party leadership groups) at all levels to assume the responsibility of the first responsible person and other members of the leadership team to earnestly shoulder the “dual responsibility for one’s own post and for Party building.” [2]2 A requirement that Party officials are responsible both for their professional duties and for Party building work in their unit. The operation of power should be made an important part of Party building assessment and reports on work and clean governance. Units with chaotic power operations and frequent corruption problems should be strictly held accountable and investigated, forming a responsibility implementation system where each level grasps the next.

压实主体责任。各级党组织是权力治理的责任主体，必须把治权纳入管党治党重要内容，与中心工作同谋划、同部署、同落实。实践中，应建立治权责任清单，推动各级党委（党组）书记扛起第一责任人责任、领导班子其他成员切实担负“一岗双责”，将权力运行情况作为党建考核、述职述廉的重要内容，对权力运行混乱、腐败问题多发的单位严肃追责问责，形成一级抓一级的责任落实体系。

Strengthen the supervision responsibility. Discipline inspection and supervision organs, as the specialized organs for supervision, bear an important mission in governing power. They should focus on their main responsibilities and main work, strengthen the whole-process supervision of power operation, resolutely investigate and punish acts of disobeying orders and prohibiting actions, and give iron rules iron teeth. In practice, the use of the “four forms” [3]3 A system of graduated disciplinary measures used by the CPC’s discipline inspection organs, ranging from criticism and education to serious punishment and criminal referral. should be deepened and applied, providing early warnings and early corrections for budding and tendentious problems in power operation, and strictly investigating and punishing violations of discipline and law, highlighting the important role of supervision responsibility in power restriction.

强化监督责任。纪检监察机关作为监督专责机关，在治权中肩负重要使命。应聚焦主责主业，加强对权力运行的全程监督，对有令不行、有禁不止的行为坚决查处，让铁规矩长出铁牙齿。实践中，要深化运用“四种形态”，对权力运行中的苗头性、倾向性问题早提醒、早纠正，对违纪违法问题严肃查处，彰显监督责任在权力制约中的重要作用。

Improve the accountability mechanism. For failures in supervising power operations that lead to corruption, the principle of “dereliction of duty must be questioned, accountability must be strict” must be adhered to, pursuing not only direct responsibility but also leadership responsibility; not only main responsibility but also supervision responsibility. Through strict accountability, responsibility implementation is forced, prompting Party organizations and leading cadres at all levels to truly shoulder the responsibility for governing power, constructing a closed loop of responsibility with clear powers and responsibilities and powerful accountability, providing a solid guarantee for the work of governing power.

健全问责机制。对权力运行监管不力、导致腐败问题发生的，必须坚持“失责必问、问责必严”，既追究直接责任，也追究领导责任；既追究主体责任，也追究监督责任。通过严肃问责倒逼责任落实，让各级党组织和领导干部切实把治权责任扛在肩上，构建权责明晰、追责有力的责任闭环，为治权工作提供坚实保障。

(Authors: Wu Yijun, Liu Zhiqi, respectively a researcher of the Hunan Provincial Research Center for Contemporary Chinese Marxism and a professor at the School of Marxism, Hunan University of Science and Technology, and a lecturer at the School of Marxism, Hunan University of Science and Technology)

（作者：吴毅君 刘之琪，分别系湖南省当代中国马克思主义研究中心研究员、湖南科技大学马克思主义学院教授，湖南科技大学马克思主义学院讲师）