“Integration of Self-Governance, Rule of Law, and Rule of Virtue” Enhances the Effectiveness of Grassroots Governance

When the grassroots are strong, the state is strong; when the grassroots are stable, the world is at peace. Grassroots governance is the cornerstone of national governance, and raising the level of modernization of grassroots governance is an inherent requirement of advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to grassroots governance work, emphasizing that “the foundational work of modernizing grassroots governance must be grasped well” and “Party building must be grasped to lead grassroots governance and the construction of grassroots political power.” [1]1 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in 2012. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed, “Uphold and develop the ‘Fengqiao Experience’ in the New Era, improve the urban and rural grassroots governance system combining self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue under the leadership of Party organizations, and perfect the social governance system of joint construction, joint governance, and shared benefits.” [2]2 The “Fengqiao Experience” is a model of grassroots conflict resolution originating in Fengqiao, Zhejiang Province, in the 1960s, emphasizing mediation and prevention of disputes at the local level. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee was held in July 2024. The urban and rural grassroots governance system combining self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, has been gradually explored and formed in the process of solving practical problems in grassroots governance. It bears distinct Chinese characteristics, reflects the superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and must be continuously improved and perfected as practice develops.

基层强则国家强，基层安则天下安。基层治理是国家治理的基石，提升基层治理现代化水平，是推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的题中应有之义。党的十八大以来，习近平总书记高度重视基层治理工作，强调“必须抓好基层治理现代化这项基础性工作”“抓好党建引领基层治理和基层政权建设”。党的二十届三中全会提出，“坚持和发展新时代‘枫桥经验’，健全党组织领导的自治、法治、德治相结合的城乡基层治理体系，完善共建共治共享的社会治理制度”。自治、法治、德治相结合的城乡基层治理体系是以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指引，在解决基层治理实际问题中逐步探索形成的，具有鲜明的中国特色，体现了中国特色社会主义制度优越性，要随着实践发展不断健全完善。

1. Stimulating Momentum through Self-Governance

1.以自治激发动力

Governing the country and ensuring security focus on the grassroots. Grassroots governance concerns the vital interests of the people. The most important tasks of social governance lie at the grassroots level, and the strongest supporting forces are also at the grassroots level. The more effective and efficient grassroots social governance is, the more solid and firm the foundation of overall social governance becomes. The system of grassroots self-governance by the masses, as a basic political system of our country, has become the most direct, most extensive, and most vivid practice of grassroots democracy in contemporary China, ensuring the full play of the roles of self-management, self-service, self-education, and self-supervision in grassroots self-governance by the masses. On the new journey of the New Era, to advance the modernization of grassroots governance and improve service capacity and governance levels, urban and rural grassroots self-governing organizations such as residents’ committees and villagers’ committees are key forces in realizing the effectiveness of self-governance. By extensively listening to public opinion and pooling popular wisdom, they ensure that policies meet the people’s needs; by actively guiding residents to participate in community and village affairs, they enhance residents’ sense of belonging and identity, and strive to promote the transformation of grassroots governance from “management” to “service.”

治国安邦，重在基层。基层治理事关人民切身利益。社会治理工作最重要的任务在基层，最坚实的力量支撑也在基层，基层社会治理越有力、越有效，整个社会治理的基础就越牢固、越坚实。基层群众自治制度作为我国的一项基本政治制度，已经成为当代中国最直接、最广泛、最生动的基层民主实践，保障基层群众自治的自我管理、自我服务、自我教育、自我监督作用充分发挥。新时代新征程，推进基层治理现代化，提高服务能力和治理水平，居民委员会、村民委员会等城乡基层自治组织是发挥自治效能的关键力量，通过广泛听取民意、汇集民智，确保政策符合人民需求；通过积极引导居民参与社区、乡村事务，增强居民归属感和认同感，着力推动基层治理从“管理”向“服务”转变。

Self-governance stimulates endogenous momentum. The Party and government continuously consolidate the foundation of grassroots self-governance through institutional design and policy guidance, issuing a series of policy norms to realize the “integration of self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue” governance with self-governance as the core, and striving to solve problems such as “government doing everything” in grassroots governance. The power of the masses is inexhaustible. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “The masses contain rich wisdom and infinite creativity. We must organize, mobilize, and unite the broad masses at the grassroots level, fully stimulating the people’s initiative, creativity, and activity.” [3]3 Quotation from Xi Jinping, source unspecified in the original text. It is necessary to strengthen Party building to lead grassroots governance, strengthen and innovate social governance, promote the diversified resolution of grassroots conflicts and disputes according to law, enhance the effectiveness of grassroots governance, and strive to achieve “small matters not leaving the village, major matters not leaving the town, and conflicts not being handed upward”; [4]4 A slogan associated with the Fengqiao Experience, meaning that disputes should be resolved at the most local level possible. learn from and apply the experience of the “Ten Million Project” according to local conditions, [5]5 The “Ten Million Project” (Qianwan Gongcheng) is a rural environment improvement initiative launched in Zhejiang Province in 2003, later promoted nationally. strengthen community self-governance functions, mobilize the initiative, creativity, and activity of community residents, and cooperatively solve problems such as neighborhood conflicts, environmental governance, and family disputes, forming a good situation where everyone participates, everyone takes responsibility, everyone contributes, and everyone shares. Only by fully mobilizing the masses, achieving broad participation by all, mutual help among neighbors, and collaborative governance by all parties can grassroots self-governance become more dynamic and more vital.

自治激发内生动能。党和政府通过制度设计、政策引领不断夯实基层自治根基，出台系列政策规范实现以自治为核心的“三治融合”治理，着力破解基层治理中“政府包办”等问题。人民群众的力量是无穷的。习近平总书记强调：“人民群众中蕴含着丰富的智慧和无限的创造力。要把广大基层群众组织起来、动员起来、凝聚起来，充分激发人民群众的积极性、主动性、创造性。”要强化党建引领基层治理，加强和创新社会治理，依法推进基层矛盾纠纷多元化解，提升基层治理效能，努力实现“小事不出村、大事不出镇、矛盾不上交”；因地制宜学习运用“千万工程”经验，强化社区自治功能，调动社区居民的积极性、主动性、创造性，互助协同解决邻里矛盾、环境治理、家庭纠纷等难题，形成人人参与、人人负责、人人奉献、人人共享的良好局面。全面发动群众，全员广泛参与，邻里互帮互助，各方协同共治，基层自治才能更具活力、更有生命力。

2. Consolidating Foundations through Rule of Law

2.以法治强基固本

Grassroots governance concerns the Party’s long-term governance and the long-term stability of the state. Rule of law is the basic method of governing the country, an important marker of the modernization of social governance, and a foundational guarantee for grassroots governance. “Law does not come from heaven, nor does it emerge from the earth; it arises among people and conforms to people’s hearts.” [6]6 A classical Chinese saying from the *Shenzi* (Writings of Master Shen) or similar legalist texts, emphasizing the human origin of law. Rule of law is both a summary of experience and a reflection of laws, as well as a social consensus. It is necessary to be adept at using legal thinking to advance social governance, using legal methods to solve governance problems, implementing the requirements of rule of law at all levels and in all fields of grassroots governance, and giving full play to the normative and safeguarding role of rule of law in grassroots governance.

基层治理事关党长期执政和国家长治久安。法治是治国理政的基本方式，是社会治理现代化的重要标志，也是基层治理的基础性保障。“法者，非从天下，非从地出，发于人间，合乎人心而已。”法治既是经验的总结、规律的反映，亦是社会的共识。要善于运用法治思维推进社会治理，运用法治方式破解治理难题，将法治要求落实到基层治理各层次、各领域，发挥好法治对基层治理的规范和保障作用。

Rule of law is an important pillar of the national governance system and governance capacity. By perfecting the socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics centered on the Constitution, providing complete and effective legal system supply, upholding legal authority, and ensuring the comprehensive implementation of national laws at the grassroots level, it lays a rule foundation for forming good social order. The government strictly administers according to law, judicial organs exercise judicial power impartially, strengthen risk monitoring and early warning and the investigation of hidden social conflicts, resolve conflicts according to law, smooth and standardize institutionalized channels for the expression of demands, coordination of interests, and protection of rights by the masses, maintain social order and good customs through legal means, and ensure that those who violate morality and law are punished and pay the price. It guides citizens to engrave the spirit and consciousness of rule of law in their hearts, embody it in daily behavior, firmly establish the concept of rule of law, respect, study, abide by, and apply the law, consciously comply with the law, practice village regulations and community conventions, cultivate legal thinking, actively participate in grassroots governance and the construction of rule of law, and jointly contribute to the construction of harmonious villages and livable communities. The grassroots public legal service system should be continuously improved, the level of legalization of grassroots governance raised, and the broad masses of grassroots cadres and the masses educated and guided to enhance their concept of rule of law, improve their ability to use legal thinking and legal methods to carry out work, solve problems, and promote development, handle affairs according to law, seek law when encountering problems, use law to solve problems, and rely on law to resolve conflicts, striving to resolve conflicts and disputes at the grassroots level. The pioneering spirit of the grassroots and the masses should be respected, and the important role of rule of law in consolidating fundamentals, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term should be given full play, ensuring that grassroots governance is standardized, fair, inclusive, and flexible. Through rule of law, the restriction and supervision of the exercise of power should be strengthened, social consensus should be maximized, and the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security should be continuously enhanced.

法治是国家治理体系和治理能力的重要依托，通过完善以宪法为核心的中国特色社会主义法律体系，提供完备、有效的法律制度供给，维护法律权威，确保国家法律在基层的全面贯彻实施；为形成良好社会秩序奠定规则基础，政府严格依法行政，司法机关公正司法，加强风险监测预警和社会矛盾隐患排查，依法化解矛盾，畅通和规范群众诉求表达、利益协调、权益保障的制度化通道，以法律手段维护社会公序良俗，让败德违法者受到惩治、付出代价；引导公民把法治精神、法治意识铭刻于心，体现于日常行为，牢固树立法治观念，尊法学法守法用法，自觉遵守法律，践行乡规民约、社区公约，涵养法治思维，积极参与基层治理、法治建设，共同为和谐乡村、宜居社区建设献计出力。应不断完善基层公共法律服务体系，提升基层治理法治化水平，教育引导基层广大干部群众增强法治观念，提高运用法治思维和法治方式开展工作、解决问题、推动发展的能力，办事依法、遇事找法、解决问题用法、化解矛盾靠法，努力把矛盾纠纷化解在基层；尊重基层和群众首创精神，充分发挥法治固根本、稳预期、利长远的重要作用，确保基层治理规范、公正和包容、灵活；通过法治加强对权力运行的制约和监督，最大限度凝聚社会共识，持续增进人民群众的获得感、幸福感、安全感。

3. Transforming Customs through Rule of Virtue

3.以德治化风成俗

A state cannot prosper without virtue, and a person cannot stand without virtue. Rule of law provides a guarantee for morality, while morality provides support for rule of law. Rule of law and rule of virtue are inseparable and cannot be neglected; national governance requires the coordinated effort of law and morality. Only when law is transformed into people’s inner consciousness can it be better followed by people. The essence of rule of virtue lies in guiding people to strive for goodness and upward progress; it is the ethical foundation of grassroots governance. It is necessary to adhere to the combination of law-based governance and rule-of-virtue governance, integrate core socialist values into the construction of rule of law, give full play to the educational role of rule of virtue, innovate grassroots governance models with local characteristics and regional features, and achieve the mutual complementarity of good laws and fine virtues and the integrated effect of rule of law and rule of virtue.

国无德不兴，人无德不立。法治对道德具有保障作用，道德对法治起着支撑作用，法治和德治不可分离、不可偏废，国家治理需要法律和道德协同发力。法律转化为人们内心自觉，才能更好为人们所遵行；德治的根本在于引导人民向上向善，是基层治理的伦理根基。必须坚持依法治国和以德治国相结合，把社会主义核心价值观融入法治建设，发挥德治的教化作用，创新具有地方特点、地区特色的基层治理模式，实现良法和美德的相互补充、法治和德治的效果集成。

In grassroots governance, the government, through moral education and cultural guidance, raises the moral quality and legal awareness of the entire population, and constructs a social moral environment conducive to the realization of self-governance and rule of law. Social subjects use moral norms to coordinate grassroots governance, resolve grassroots conflicts and disputes, and promote grassroots social harmony. The advantages of excellent traditional Chinese culture should be fully utilized, and through the demonstration of role models around them and the education of life rituals and customs, the masses should be guided to distinguish right from wrong and know honor from disgrace, gathering strong spiritual strength for advancing the modernization of grassroots social governance. A positive and healthy moral atmosphere should be cultivated, a moral environment conducive to self-governance and rule of law should be constructed, the masses should be mobilized and organized to actively participate in community public affairs, and the leading role of rule of virtue should be better played. The construction of civilized rural customs should be vigorously promoted, the unique role of moral rules should be exerted through mechanisms such as public opinion guidance, and moral norms should be transformed into concrete action guides through model leadership and typical guidance, so that the masses unconsciously observe social morality, professional ethics, and family virtues in their daily lives, and enhance their personal morality. The masses should be encouraged to actively participate in the construction of civic morality and cultural activities in the New Era, enhance their recognition and compliance with various social norms, and lay a solid foundation for improving the effectiveness of grassroots governance. Excellent traditional Chinese culture should be inherited, core socialist values should be promoted into villages and communities, the role of village regulations and residents’ conventions should be effectively utilized, the mechanism for the construction of family, family education, and family traditions to play a role in grassroots governance should be improved, civilized new customs should be advocated, and outdated customs and bad habits should be eradicated.

在基层治理中，政府通过道德教育和文化引导，提升全民道德素质和法治意识，构建有利于自治和法治实现的社会道德环境。社会主体以道德准则协同基层治理，化解基层矛盾纠纷，促进基层社会和谐。应充分发挥中华优秀传统文化优势，通过身边榜样示范、生活礼俗教化等，引导群众明是非、知荣辱，为推进基层社会治理现代化凝聚强大精神力量。培育积极健康的道德风尚，构建有利于自治和法治的道德环境，动员、组织群众积极参与社区公共事务，更好地发挥德治的引领作用。大力推进文明乡风建设，以舆论引导等机制发挥道德规则的独特作用，以模范带头、典型引领等将道德规范转化为具体行动指南，使群众于日用而不觉中遵守社会公德、职业道德、家庭美德，提升个人品德。鼓励群众积极参与新时代公民道德建设和文化活动，增强对各类社会规范的认同与遵循，为提升基层治理效能夯基垒台。传承中华优秀传统文化，推动社会主义核心价值观进农村、进社区，有效发挥村规民约、居民公约等作用，健全家庭家教家风建设在基层治理中发挥作用机制，倡导文明新风、破除陈规陋习。

4. Promoting the Combination of Self-Governance, Rule of Law, and Rule of Virtue

4.推动自治、法治、德治相结合

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “Persist in leading grassroots governance with Party building, and improve the ability of grassroots Party organizations to lead grassroots governance.” The grassroots level is the foundation of the Party’s governance and the source of its strength. It is necessary to implement the Party’s leadership throughout the entire process and in all aspects of grassroots governance, enhance the political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social appeal of grassroots Party organizations in grassroots governance, further improve the urban and rural grassroots governance system combining self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue under the leadership of Party organizations, perfect the social governance system of joint contribution, joint governance, and shared benefits, comprehensively raise the level of socialization, rule of law, intellectualization, and specialization of grassroots governance, and assist Chinese-path modernization with the modernization of grassroots governance.

习近平总书记指出，“坚持以党建引领基层治理，提高基层党组织领导基层治理能力”。基层是党的执政之基、力量之源，要把党的领导贯彻到基层治理全过程和各方面，提高基层党组织在基层治理中的政治领导力、思想引领力、群众组织力、社会号召力，进一步健全党组织领导的自治、法治、德治相结合的城乡基层治理体系，完善共建共治共享的社会治理制度，全面提升基层治理社会化、法治化、智能化、专业化水平，以基层治理现代化助力中国式现代化。

Grassroots self-governance by the masses is an important form of socialist democracy. It is necessary to fully stimulate the enthusiasm and creativity of the masses in participating in grassroots governance, and realize self-management, self-service, self-education, and self-supervision of grassroots organizations. Cultivate a deep soil for the rule of law, so that belief in the rule of law and strict enforcement of the rule of law take root at the grassroots level, and continuously enhance the role of the rule of law in safeguarding and promoting moral construction and the democratic rights of the grassroots masses. Highlight the supporting role of the rule of virtue for the rule of law, vigorously promote the core socialist values, guide the grassroots masses to establish correct moral and legal concepts, and provide profound nourishment for grassroots governance. Coordinate resources and forces from all sides, promote the benign interaction and organic integration of self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue, and fully release the vitality of grassroots society. Strive to build a community of grassroots social governance, stimulate the vitality of grassroots organizations, improve the volunteer service system, incubate and cultivate mass self-help organizations, smooth multiple channels for the expression of mass demands, coordination of interests, and protection of rights and interests, improve the organizational system that is connected from top to bottom and effective in execution, and enhance the efficiency and mobilization capacity of grassroots organizations. The “Fengqiao experience” in the New Era is an important exploration by the Party leading the people in advancing the modernization of grassroots governance, and a vivid practice of the urban and rural grassroots governance system combining self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue under the leadership of Party organizations. It is necessary to uphold and develop the “Fengqiao experience” in the New Era, strive to resolve problems at the grassroots level and nip them in the bud, and explore effective paths for grassroots governance. [7]7 The “Fengqiao experience” originated in the 1960s in Fengqiao Township, Zhejiang Province, as a method of resolving contradictions through mass mobilization and education, later promoted nationwide as a model for grassroots social governance.

基层群众自治是社会主义民主的重要形式，应充分激发人民群众参与基层治理的热情和创造力，实现基层组织的自我管理、自我服务、自我教育、自我监督。厚植法治土壤，让信仰法治、厉行法治在基层落地生根，持续提升法治对道德建设和基层群众民主权利的保障与促进作用。彰显德治对法治的支撑作用，大力弘扬社会主义核心价值观，引导基层群众树立正确的道德和法治观念，为基层治理提供深厚滋养。统筹各方资源和力量，推进自治、法治、德治的良性互动与有机融合，充分释放基层社会活力。着力构建基层社会治理共同体，激发基层组织活力，完善志愿服务体系，孵化培育群众自助组织，畅通群众诉求表达、利益协调、权益保障的多元路径，健全上下贯通、执行有力的组织体系，提高基层组织效率和动员能力。新时代“枫桥经验”是党领导人民推进基层治理现代化的重要探索，是党组织领导的自治、法治、德治相结合的城乡基层治理体系的生动实践，要坚持和发展新时代“枫桥经验”，努力把问题解决在基层、化解在萌芽状态，探索基层治理有效路径。

In summary, grassroots governance is a systematic project that “reaches the vast and exhausts the subtle.” [8]8 A classical allusion from the *Doctrine of the Mean* (*Zhongyong*), meaning that the Way of the sage is both broad and subtle, requiring attention to both grand principles and minute details. Through political guidance, strengthening the foundation through self-governance, guaranteeing through the rule of law, educating through the rule of virtue, and empowering through digital governance, it is necessary to activate momentum, standardize governance, strengthen consensus, gather strength, achieve an organic combination of top-down and bottom-up governance rules, promote the continuous improvement of the modernization level of grassroots governance, consolidate the social foundation for Chinese-path modernization, and provide security guarantees.

总之，基层治理是一项“致广大而尽精微”的系统工程，要通过政治引领、自治强基、法治保障、德治教化、数治赋能，激活动能、规范治理，强化共识、凝聚力量，达致自上而下与自下而上治理规则的有机结合，推动基层治理现代化水平持续提升，为中国式现代化夯实社会基础，提供安全保障。

(Author: Dai Xiaoming, Researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era of the Central Party School [National Academy of Governance], Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the Publishing Group of the Central Party School [National Academy of Governance])

（作者：戴小明，系中央党校〔国家行政学院〕习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心研究员，中央党校〔国家行政学院〕出版集团党委书记、董事长兼总编辑）

Online Editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心