The “Three Slaps” Are Essentially a Misaligned Outlook on Political Performance

Decision-making is the beginning of governance and the foundation of achieving success. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “The fundamental criterion for measuring whether a decision is scientific is whether it gains the approval and support of the people, and whether it can withstand the test of practice and history. The phenomenon of the ‘three slaps’—slapping the head to make a decision, slapping the chest to make a pledge, and slapping the buttocks to walk away—must be resolutely prevented and corrected.” [1]1 The “three slaps” (拍脑袋决策、拍胸脯表态、拍屁股走人) is a colloquial Chinese term criticizing irresponsible decision-making: making decisions on a whim (slapping the head), making bold promises without basis (slapping the chest), and then walking away from the consequences (slapping the buttocks). Currently, the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political performance is being solidly carried out across the entire Party. We must deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political performance, resolutely prevent and rectify the unhealthy trend of the “three slaps,” and, through scientific decision-making, democratic decision-making, and law-based decision-making, consolidate the foundation for undertaking endeavors and starting undertakings, striving to deliver political performance for the people and to achieve political performance through practical work.

决策是施政之始、成事之基。习近平总书记深刻指出：“衡量决策是不是科学，根本看是不是得到人民群众赞成和支持，是不是经得起实践和历史检验。那种拍脑袋决策、拍胸脯表态、拍屁股走人的‘三拍’现象，要坚决防止和纠正。”当前，树立和践行正确政绩观学习教育正在全党扎实开展。我们必须深入学习贯彻习近平总书记关于树立和践行正确政绩观的重要论述，坚决防止和纠治“三拍”歪风，以科学决策、民主决策、依法决策筑牢干事创业的根基，努力为人民出政绩、以实干出政绩。

The phenomenon of the “three slaps” is essentially a concrete manifestation of a misaligned outlook on political performance. Slapping the head to make a decision means placing subjective will above objective reality, replacing investigation and argumentation with empiricism; slapping the chest to make a pledge means using empty promises to cover up shortcomings in capability, an external manifestation of being fond of grandiose projects and craving quick success; slapping the buttocks to walk away means leaving behind unfinished projects, financial burdens, and livelihood difficulties for successors, the crux of the problem being a lack of responsibility. The “three slaps” often follow one another, forming a vicious cycle of “arbitrary decision-making—blind action—accountability idling,” which both wastes public resources and hinders the development of the cause. They must be constantly guarded against and resolutely eliminated.

“三拍”现象，本质上是政绩观错位的具象化表现。拍脑袋决策，是将主观意志凌驾于客观实际之上，以经验主义代替调研论证；拍胸脯表态，是用空洞承诺掩盖能力不足的短板，是好大喜功、急功近利的外在表现；拍屁股走人，是将烂尾项目、财政包袱与民生难题等留给继任者，问题的关键是缺乏担当。“三拍”往往前后相继，形成“决策随意—执行盲动—问责空转”的恶性循环，既浪费公共资源，又耽误事业发展，必须时刻警惕、坚决破除。

The rise of governance lies in conforming to the people’s will; the decline of governance lies in opposing the people’s will. [2]2 This is a classical Chinese saying from the *Guanzi* (管子), an ancient political and philosophical text attributed to Guan Zhong (c. 720–645 BCE). To guard against the phenomenon of the “three slaps,” the first priority is to adhere to putting the people first. Only when the steering wheel of decision-making is aligned with the coordinate of “the people’s will” can it steer onto the broad road of good governance and harmony; once decision-making deviates from the people’s will, it is doomed to waste manpower and money. The more than one-hundred-year history of the CPC vividly demonstrates that adhering to putting the people first has never been an empty slogan, but rather a concrete action running through the entire process of decision-making. We must ask the people about their needs, taking “the voice of the masses” as the first signal; deliver tangible benefits to the people, taking “the benefit of the masses” as the fundamental purpose; and submit decisions to the people for evaluation, taking “the satisfaction of the masses” as the highest standard, allowing power to operate in the sunlight, and truly realizing the original aspiration of decision-making for the people.

政之所兴在顺民心，政之所废在逆民心。谨防“三拍”现象，首在坚持人民至上。决策的方向盘，只有对准“民心”的坐标，才能驶向政通人和的大道，而决策一旦偏离民心，注定会劳民伤财。中国共产党百余年历史生动说明，坚持人民至上，从来不是一句空喊的口号，而是贯穿决策全过程的具体行动。要问需于民，把“群众呼声”作为第一信号；惠民于实，把“群众受益”作为根本目的；交由民评，把“群众满意”作为最高标准，让权力在阳光下运行，真正实现决策为民的初心。

Governance has constancy, but benefiting the people is the foundation; political education has principles, but ensuring orders are implemented is paramount. [3]3 This is a classical Chinese saying from the *Huainanzi* (淮南子), a Han dynasty philosophical text. To guard against the phenomenon of the “three slaps,” the valuable approach lies in following objective laws. Laws are the internal logic of the development of things; only when governance decisions conform to laws can they proceed steadily and achieve lasting success. Following objective laws hinges on in-depth investigation and scientific decision-making. We must adhere to putting investigation first, getting a clear picture of the “foundation,” to prevent “slapping the chest to make a pledge”; adhere to professional support, finding the right “path,” to ensure decisions conform to the laws of economic and social development and the laws of nature; and adhere to dynamic correction, promptly adjusting decisions that are unsuitable for development, to prevent “persisting in error to the end.” Only in this way can decisions be workable, implementable, and yield long-term results.

治国有常，而利民为本；政教有经，而令行为上。谨防“三拍”现象，贵在遵循客观规律。规律是事物发展的内在逻辑，施政决策只有契合规律，才能行稳致远。遵循客观规律，关键在于深入调研、科学决策。必须坚持调研先行，摸清“底子”，防止“拍胸脯表态”；坚持专业支撑，找准“路子”，确保决策符合经济社会发展规律和自然规律；坚持动态纠偏，对不适应发展的决策及时调整，防止“一错到底”。这样，才能让决策行得通、落得实、见长效。

Law is the beginning of governance. [4]4 This is a classical Chinese saying from the *Xunzi* (荀子), attributed to the Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang (c. 310–235 BCE). To guard against the phenomenon of the “three slaps,” the key lies in strengthening institutional constraints. The *Interim Regulations on Major Administrative Decision-Making Procedures*, which came into effect in September 2019, sets public participation, expert argumentation, risk assessment, legality review, and collective discussion and decision as rigid thresholds, and establishes and improves a lifelong accountability system for major decisions, ensuring that the exercise of power is constrained and that decision-making errors come at a cost. [5]5 The *Interim Regulations on Major Administrative Decision-Making Procedures* (重大行政决策程序暂行条例) is a State Council regulation that came into effect on September 1, 2019, mandating procedures for major government decisions. From the case of Sanhe City, Langfang City, Hebei Province, engaging in arbitrary decision-making and mechanical implementation in urban management, to the case of Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guilin City, Guangxi, forcibly promoting the construction of the Yao-Han Health and Longevity City cultural tourism project regardless of local actual conditions, the profound lessons serve as a warning: decisions cannot be “finalized” based on personal preferences; power must be managed through the cage of institutions. [6]6 Sanhe City (三河市) and Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County (恭城瑶族自治县) are county-level administrative divisions in China; the cases cited refer to widely reported instances of flawed local government decision-making. Strengthening institutional constraints centers on building a solid line of defense. We must improve the procedures for legality review and risk assessment, actively leverage the gatekeeping role of legal advisors and think tank experts, strictly implement the lifelong accountability system, improve the mechanisms for documenting decisions and tracing responsibility, and seriously pursue accountability for those who blindly “finalize” decisions causing major losses. Only by embedding institutions throughout the entire decision-making process can we eradicate the real soil in which the phenomenon of the “three slaps” breeds from the source.

法者，治之端也。谨防“三拍”现象，要在强化制度约束。2019年9月开始施行的《重大行政决策程序暂行条例》，将公众参与、专家论证、风险评估、合法性审查和集体讨论决定设定为刚性门槛，并建立健全重大决策终身责任追究制度，让权力运行有约束、决策失误有代价。从河北省廊坊市三河市在城市管理中盲目决策、机械执行，到广西桂林市恭城瑶族自治县不顾当地实际条件强行推动建设瑶汉养寿城文旅项目，教训深刻警示：决策不能依个人好恶“拍板”，必须靠制度笼子管权。健全制度约束，核心在于筑牢防线。必须完善合法性审查与风险评估程序，积极发挥法律顾问、智库专家的把关作用，并严格落实终身责任追究制度，完善决策档案留痕与倒查机制，对盲目“拍板”造成重大损失者严肃追责。只有把制度贯穿决策全过程，才能从源头上铲除“三拍”现象滋生的现实土壤。

Those who make a sharp start must plan for its end; those who achieve success first plan from the beginning. [7]7 This is a classical Chinese saying from the *Book of Han* (汉书), the official history of the Han dynasty. Decision-making concerns the well-being of the people, connects the Party’s heart with the people’s heart, and is tied to the overall development situation. Establishing and practicing a correct outlook on political performance requires every Party member and cadre to remember the original aspiration of decision-making for the people and resolutely oppose the phenomenon of the “three slaps.” Only in this way can every decision win the support of the masses, withstand the test of practice, live up to the trust of history, and, through scientific and pragmatic governance, promote the steady and long-term progress of the cause of the Party and the state.

锐始者必图其终，成功者先计于始。决策关乎民生福祉、连着党心民心、系着发展全局。树立和践行正确政绩观，需要每一名党员干部都牢记决策为民的初心，坚决反对“三拍”现象。唯有如此，才能让每一项决策都得到群众拥护、经得起实践检验、不负历史重托，以科学务实的施政，推动党和国家事业行稳致远。