Persisting in Using Institutions to Guarantee the Development of Whole-Process People’s Democracy

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, standing at the historical height of “advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through Chinese-path modernization,” profoundly reveals the major strategic significance and important political function of developing whole-process people’s democracy on the new journey of Chinese-path modernization. It clearly points out that whole-process people’s democracy is the essential attribute of socialist democratic politics, and that developing whole-process people’s democracy is an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization; that whole-process people’s democracy is the broadest, most genuine, and most effective democracy, and it is necessary to continuously improve the institutional system for the people being the masters of the country, expand the people’s orderly political participation, and ensure that the people exercise democratic elections, democratic consultations, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic supervision in accordance with the law; that it is necessary to unswervingly follow the path of political development with Chinese characteristics, further raise the level of institutionalization, standardization, and proceduralization of whole-process people’s democracy, uphold the principal position of the people, fully reflect the people’s will, safeguard the people’s rights and interests, and stimulate the people’s creative vitality.

党的二十大报告站在“以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴”的时代高度，深刻揭示了发展全过程人民民主在中国式现代化新征程上的重大战略意义和重要政治功能，明确指出，全过程人民民主是社会主义民主政治的本质属性，发展全过程人民民主是中国式现代化的一项本质要求；全过程人民民主是最广泛、最真实、最管用的民主，必须不断健全人民当家作主制度体系，扩大人民有序政治参与，保证人民依法实行民主选举、民主协商、民主决策、民主管理、民主监督；必须坚定不移走中国特色社会主义政治发展道路，进一步提高全过程人民民主制度化、规范化、程序化水平，坚持人民主体地位，充分体现人民意志、保障人民权益、激发人民创造活力。

In the tortuous course of leading the exploration of China’s modernization path, our Party has profoundly recognized that “the institutional question is more fundamental, overarching, stable, and long-term,” and that “in governing the country, institutions play a fundamental, overarching, and long-term role.” [1]1 The first quotation is from Deng Xiaoping’s 1980 speech “On the Reform of the Party and State Leadership System”; the second is from Xi Jinping’s 2014 speech marking the 60th anniversary of the National People’s Congress. The people becoming the masters and subjects of the state system, and continuously consolidating and perfecting the state system in which the people are the masters of the country through developing democracy, is the essence and substance of socialist democracy, and is also the core and true meaning of Chinese-path modernization taking the development of whole-process people’s democracy as an “essential requirement.”

我们党在领导探索中国现代化道路的曲折历程中深刻认识到，“制度问题更带有根本性、全局性、稳定性和长期性”，“治理国家，制度是起根本性、全局性、长远性作用的”。人民成为国家制度的主人和主体，通过发展民主不断巩固和完善人民当家作主的国家制度，是社会主义民主的本质和实质，也是中国式现代化把发展全过程人民民主作为一项“本质要求”的精髓和真谛。

I

一

Facing the current changes unseen in a century in the world and increasingly fierce international competition, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out: “Institutional competition is an important aspect of comprehensive national power competition, and institutional advantage is an important advantage for a country to gain strategic initiative. Both history and reality show that when institutions are stable, the country is stable; when institutions are strong, the country is strong.” [2]2 From Xi Jinping’s speech at the second plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC in January 2018. The fundamental reason why China’s socialist democracy has strong vitality and powerful competitiveness lies precisely in the gradual formation of a full-chain modern institutional system that guarantees the people being the masters of the country. The report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC clearly stated: “Developing socialist democratic politics means reflecting the people’s will, safeguarding the people’s rights and interests, stimulating the people’s creative vitality, and using the institutional system to ensure that the people are the masters of the country.” [3]3 From the report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC (2017). The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC further emphasized: “We must improve the institutional system for the people being the masters of the country,” “uphold the principal position of the people, fully reflect the people’s will, safeguard the people’s rights and interests, and stimulate the people’s creative vitality.” Using the institutional system to ensure that the people are the masters of the country is the most important experience our Party has gained in its long-term struggle for people’s democracy, and is the most distinctive feature of Chinese-style democracy. The fundamental basis for why China’s democracy is a whole-process people’s democracy lies precisely in the fact that it is a full-chain type of institutionalized democracy. The complete “democratic institutional chain” effectively guarantees the people’s rights and interests as masters of the country, “realizing the unity of process democracy and outcome democracy, procedural democracy and substantive democracy, direct democracy and indirect democracy, people’s democracy and the will of the state. It is a full-chain, all-encompassing, and full-coverage democracy, the broadest, most genuine, and most effective socialist democracy.” [4]4 From Xi Jinping’s speech at the Central Conference on Work Related to People’s Congresses in October 2021.

面对当今世界百年未有之大变局和日趋激烈的国际竞争，习近平总书记深刻指出：“制度竞争是综合国力竞争的重要方面，制度优势是一个国家赢得战略主动的重要优势。历史和现实都表明，制度稳则国家稳，制度强则国家强。”我国社会主义民主所以具有旺盛生命力和强大竞争力，根本之点就在于逐步形成了保障人民当家作主的全链条式的现代制度体系。党的十九大报告明确指出：“发展社会主义民主政治就是要体现人民意志、保障人民权益、激发人民创造活力，用制度体系保证人民当家作主。”党的二十大报告进一步强调：“我们要健全人民当家作主制度体系”，“坚持人民主体地位，充分体现人民意志、保障人民权益、激发人民创造活力”。用制度体系保障人民当家作主，是我们党为人民民主长期奋斗所取得的一条最重要经验，是中国式民主的一个最鲜明特质。我国民主之所以是一种全过程人民民主，根本依据就在于，这是一种全链条式的制度化民主，完整的“民主制度链”有效保障了人民当家作主权益，“实现了过程民主和成果民主、程序民主和实质民主、直接民主和间接民主、人民民主和国家意志相统一，是全链条、全方位、全覆盖的民主，是最广泛、最真实、最管用的社会主义民主。”

A prominent advantage of institutionalized democracy with a full chain as its carrier is the realization of all-encompassing and full-coverage democracy. Through the construction of an institutional system including the fundamental political system, basic political systems, and important political systems, democracy is comprehensively extended to all aspects and the entire process of political and social life, thereby effectively realizing that from state governance to daily life, the people’s will can be reflected and the people’s rights and interests safeguarded, powerfully stimulating the people’s subject consciousness and creative vitality. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC clearly states that “the next five years will be a crucial period for getting off to a good start in building a modern socialist country in all respects,” and an important goal and task for this period is to comprehensively strengthen the construction of a full-chain democratic system, achieving “further improvement in the level of institutionalization, standardization, and proceduralization of whole-process people’s democracy.” [5]5 From the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC (2022).

以全链条为载体的制度化民主，一个突出优势是实现民主的全方位和全覆盖，通过根本政治制度、基本政治制度、重要政治制度等制度体系建设，将民主全方位地覆盖到政治和社会生活的各个方面和全部过程，从而有效实现了从国家治理到日常生活都能体现人民意志、保障人民权益，有力激发人民的主体意识和创造活力。党的二十大报告明确指出，“未来五年是全面建设社会主义现代化国家开局起步的关键时期”，这一时期的一个重要目标任务就是要全面加强全链条的民主制度建设，实现“全过程人民民主制度化、规范化、程序化水平进一步提高”。

Further strengthen the construction of the system of people’s congresses, consolidating the fundamental institutional guarantee for the people being the masters of the country. The system of people’s congresses is China’s fundamental political system. It is a fundamental institutional arrangement that adapts to and embodies the state nature of the people’s democratic dictatorship and ensures that state power is always in the hands of the people. In the complete institutional chain of whole-process people’s democracy, the system of people’s congresses occupies a fundamental important position and has an overarching important function, serving as “an important institutional carrier for realizing China’s whole-process people’s democracy.” [6]6 From Xi Jinping’s speech at the Central Conference on Work Related to People’s Congresses in October 2021. Unlike the parliamentary systems of Western countries, China’s people’s congresses do not represent the rights and interests of a certain political party or certain interest groups, but represent the rights and interests of the people of all ethnic groups across the country. They are deeply rooted among the people and profoundly embody the essence of socialist democracy, that the people are the subjects of democracy. China’s political development practice has profoundly shown that the system of people’s congresses is an important institutional carrier for perfecting democratic elections and ensuring popular sovereignty; an important institutional carrier for adhering to democratic legislation and achieving good laws and good governance; and an important institutional carrier for strengthening democratic supervision and restricting the operation of power. On the new journey of Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to further strengthen the construction of the system of people’s congresses, “support and ensure that the people exercise state power through people’s congresses, ensure that people’s congresses at all levels are democratically elected, responsible to the people, and subject to the people’s supervision,” thereby “ensuring that the people manage state affairs, economic and cultural undertakings, and social affairs through various channels and forms in accordance with the law.” [7]7 From the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC (2022).

进一步加强人民代表大会制度建设，巩固人民当家作主的根本制度保障。人民代表大会制度是我国的根本政治制度，是适应和体现人民民主专政的国家性质、保证国家权力始终掌握在人民手中的根本制度安排。在全过程人民民主完整制度链条中，人民代表大会制度居于根本性重要地位、具有全局性重要功能，“是实现我国全过程人民民主的重要制度载体”。与西方国家的议会制不同，我国人民代表大会不是代表某个政党和某些利益集团的权益，而是代表全国各族人民的权益，深深植根于人民之中，深刻体现了人民是民主的主体这一社会主义民主的本质。我国政治发展实践深刻表明，人民代表大会制度是完善民主选举、确保人民主权的重要制度载体；是坚持民主立法、实现良法善治的重要制度载体；是加强民主监督、制约权力运行的重要制度载体。在中国式现代化新征程上，必须进一步加强人民代表大会制度建设，“支持和保证人民通过人民代表大会行使国家权力，保证各级人大都由民主选举产生、对人民负责、受人民监督”，从而“确保人民依法通过各种途径和形式管理国家事务，管理经济和文化事业，管理社会事务”。

Further strengthen the construction of the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the CPC, perfecting the basic institutional channels for the people being the masters of the country. The system of consultative democracy is China’s basic political system, an important institutional platform for ensuring the people being the masters of the country, and a unique embodiment of Chinese-style democracy. The distinctive feature and prominent advantage of this democratic political system lie in fully respecting public opinion, extensively pooling popular wisdom, and enhancing democratic consensus through various channels of democratic consultation, such as consultation between political parties, consultation in people’s congresses, consultation with the government, consultation in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), consultation with people’s organizations, consultation at the grassroots level, and consultation with social organizations, effectively ensuring the full expression and genuine realization of the people’s right to be masters of the country. On the new journey of Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to “comprehensively develop consultative democracy,” “perfect the consultative democracy system,” “improve various institutionalized consultation platforms, and promote the extensive, multi-tiered, and institutionalized development of consultative democracy”; it is necessary to “perfect the working pattern of the united front,” “consolidate and perfect the broadest possible patriotic united front,” [8]8 From the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC (2022). gathering a mighty force for comprehensively building a modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

进一步加强中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度建设，完善人民当家作主的基本制度渠道。协商民主制度是我国的基本政治制度，是保障人民当家作主的重要制度平台，是中国式民主的独特体现。这一民主政治制度的鲜明特点和突出优势在于，通过政党协商、人大协商、政府协商、政协协商、人民团体协商、基层协商、社会组织协商等多种民主协商渠道，充分尊重民意、广泛集中民智、增进民主共识，有效保证人民当家作主权利的充分表达和真实实现。在中国式现代化新征程上，必须“全面发展协商民主”，“完善协商民主体系”，“健全各种制度化协商平台，推进协商民主广泛多层制度化发展”；必须“完善大统战工作格局”，“巩固和完善最广泛的爱国统一战线”，为全面建设社会主义现代化国家、实现中华民族伟大复兴凝聚起磅礴伟力。

Further strengthen the construction of the system of grassroots self-governance, expanding the important institutional pathways for the people being the masters of the country. China’s socialist democracy is an organic unity of direct democracy and indirect democracy. Grassroots self-governance is the fundamental channel for developing direct democracy and an important embodiment of whole-process people’s democracy. The distinctive feature and prominent advantage of this democratic political system lie in ensuring, through institutionalized participation channels and platforms, that the masses extensively participate in grassroots democratic practices, stimulating their political enthusiasm and creative vitality in using democratic rights to promote economic and social development, and building a political and social community where everyone has responsibility, everyone fulfills their duty, and everyone enjoys benefits. On the new journey of Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to further “improve the mechanism for grassroots self-governance under the leadership of grassroots Party organizations, strengthen grassroots organization construction, perfect the system and working mechanisms of grassroots direct democracy, and enhance the effectiveness of urban and rural community residents’ self-management, self-service, self-education, and self-supervision,” [9]9 From the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC (2022). ensuring the genuine realization of the people’s right to be masters of the country in the broad field of social life.

进一步加强基层群众自治制度建设，拓展人民当家作主的重要制度路径。我国社会主义民主是直接民主与间接民主的有机统一，基层群众自治是发展直接民主的根本渠道，是全过程人民民主的重要体现。这一民主政治制度的鲜明特点和突出优势在于，通过制度化的参与渠道和参与平台，确保人民群众广泛参与基层民主实践，激发运用民主权利促进经济社会发展的政治积极性和创造活力，建设人人有责、人人尽责、人人享有的政治和社会共同体。在中国式现代化新征程上，必须进一步“健全基层党组织领导的基层群众自治机制，加强基层组织建设，完善基层直接民主制度和工作体系，增强城乡社区群众自我管理、自我服务、自我教育、自我监督的实效”，在广泛的社会生活领域确保人民当家作主权利的真实实现。

The organic integration of democratic institutions with national governance, fused in practice through the safeguarding and advancement of high-quality economic and social development, is a major distinctive feature and prominent advantage of whole-process people’s democracy on the new journey of Chinese-path modernization, as well as an important function and core task. Whether democracy and governance can be combined, and how, is a major problem that has never been properly resolved in Western democratic models and traditional democratic concepts. Democracy emphasizes procedure, while governance pursues efficiency; the two seem difficult to combine, even contradictory in value. China’s major concept of developing whole-process people’s democracy and its deep practice have effectively achieved the organic combination of democracy and governance, organically embedding modern democratic institutions into the national governance mechanism and transforming them into national governance effectiveness. This is a creative adherence to and development of the Marxist view of democracy, opening up an effective path for advancing the modernization of national governance by relying on the power of people’s democracy. It is also a fundamental secret of why Chinese-path modernization can mobilize the initiative, creativity, and enthusiasm of hundreds of millions of people, prevent and transcend the various social problems arising from the loss of human subjectivity in the process of Western modernization, and create a new form of human civilization.

把民主制度和国家治理有机结合起来、在保障和推进经济社会高质量发展实践中融为一体，是中国式现代化新征程上全过程人民民主的一大鲜明特色和突出优势，也是一项重要功能和核心任务。民主和治理能否结合、如何结合，这在西方民主模式和传统民主理念中是一直未能解决好的重大难题。民主讲究程序，治理追求效率，两者似乎难以结合，甚至价值相悖。我国发展全过程人民民主的重大理念及其深入实践，有效实现了民主与治理的有机结合，把现代民主制度有机地嵌入国家治理机制、转化为国家治理效能。这是对马克思主义民主观的创造性坚持和发展，开辟了依靠人民民主力量推进国家治理现代化的有效路径。这也是中国式现代化之所以能调动亿万人民积极性主动性创造性，防止和超越西方现代化进程中因人的主体性失落而产生的种种社会问题，创造人类文明新形态的一个根本奥秘。

II

二

Marx and Engels pointed out: “What is democracy? It must have a certain meaning, otherwise it cannot exist. Therefore the whole question lies in determining the true meaning of democracy.” [10]10 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, *Collected Works*, Vol. 10, p. 474 (Chinese edition). The exact source is Marx’s 1842 article “The Leading Article in No. 179 of the *Kölnische Zeitung*.” The true meaning of democracy is the realization of democratic value. Whether a democracy has value and meaning ultimately depends on whether it is useful for optimizing national governance, whether it is useful for promoting social development, and whether it is useful for realizing the rights and interests of the people. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “Democracy is not an ornament, not for display, but to be used to solve the problems the people need to solve.” [11]11 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Central Conference on Work Related to People’s Congresses” (September 5, 2014), in *Xi Jinping: The Governance of China*, Vol. “To evaluate whether a country’s political system is democratic and effective, the main criteria are whether the national leadership can be replaced in an orderly manner according to law, whether all the people can manage state and social affairs as well as economic and cultural undertakings according to law, whether the masses can effectively participate in national political life, whether national decision-making can achieve scientific and democratic results, whether talented people from all walks of life can enter the national leadership and management system through fair competition, whether the ruling party can realize its leadership over state affairs in accordance with the constitution and laws, and whether the exercise of power can be effectively checked and supervised.” [12] In short, for a democratic system to be useful and effective, it must faithfully represent the interests and will of the entire people in advancing national and social governance, and continuously transform the advantages of the democratic system into national governance effectiveness.

马克思恩格斯指出：“民主是什么呢？它必须具备一定的意义，否则它就不能存在。因此全部问题就在于确定民主的真正意义。”民主的真正意义即民主的价值实现。一种民主是否有价值、有意义，归根到底要看它是否对优化国家治理有用，是否对推进社会发展有用，是否对实现人民权益有用。习近平总书记深刻指出：“民主不是装饰品，不是用来做摆设的，而是要用来解决人民需要解决的问题的。”“评价一个国家政治制度是不是民主的、有效的，主要看国家领导层能否依法有序更替，全体人民能否依法管理国家事务和社会事务、管理经济和文化事业，人民群众能否有效参与国家政治生活，国家决策能否实现科学化、民主化，各方面人才能否通过公平竞争进入国家领导和管理体系，执政党能否依照宪法法律规定实现对国家事务的领导，权力运行能否得到有效制约和监督。”总之，一种民主制度要有用、有效，必须忠实代表全体人民的利益和意愿推进国家和社会治理，不断把民主制度优势转化为国家治理效能。

In recent years, a fundamental reason why the democratic systems of some Western countries have repeatedly encountered problems is that the national political system and political operations have become increasingly distant from the needs of the people. The democratic system has gradually degenerated into a tool for a few politicians to attack each other or even fool the people, and has become an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and infringe upon their interests, moving further and further away from, or even running counter to, the true meaning of democracy. A fundamental reason why China’s whole-process people’s democracy is increasingly demonstrating great vitality and influence, and increasingly highlighting its distinctive features and tremendous advantages in the comparison of various democratic systems and values in today’s world, is that the Communist Party of China has always adhered to a people-centered approach, taking upholding the supremacy of the people as the core value concept and fundamental operational principle of the national democratic system, and taking safeguarding people’s sovereignty, respecting people’s creativity, and concentrating people’s wisdom as the internal logic for advancing the modernization of national governance. This allows the true meaning of democracy to be fully manifested, the core value of democracy to be fully realized, and the special role of the political superstructure to be played in advancing the modernization of national governance and economic and social modernization.

近些年来，西方一些国家民主制度之所以屡屡出现问题，一个根本性原因就是国家政治制度和政治运行离人民的需求愈来愈远，民主制度逐渐沦为少数政客相互攻击甚至愚弄人民的工具，成为干预别国内政、侵犯别国利益的借口，与民主的真正意义渐行渐远甚至背道而驰。我国全过程人民民主之所以愈来愈彰显出巨大生命力和影响力，在当今世界各种民主制度和价值理念比较中愈益彰显出鲜明特色和巨大优势，一个根本性原因就是中国共产党始终坚持以人民为中心，把坚持人民至上作为国家民主制度的核心价值理念和根本运行原则，把保障人民主权、尊重人民创造、集中人民智慧作为推进国家治理现代化的内在逻辑，从而使民主的真正意义得到充分彰显，民主的核心价值得到充分实现，在推进国家治理现代化和经济社会现代化中发挥了政治上层建筑的特殊作用。

The grand goals and arduous tasks of Chinese-path modernization inherently require further strengthening the national governance function of whole-process people’s democracy, organically integrating democratic elections, democratic consultations, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic supervision, implementing the principle of the people being the masters of the country in all areas of national governance and social development, and better achieving the organic unity of direct democracy and indirect democracy, the organic unity of procedural democracy and substantive democracy, and the organic unity of people’s democracy and the will of the state. To realize this true meaning and core value of whole-process people’s democracy, it is necessary to firmly grasp the essence of people’s democracy in advancing the modernization of national and social governance, namely, that matters should be discussed by all, and the affairs of the many should be discussed by the many. Matters concerning the overall governance of the country and the interests of people of all ethnic groups nationwide should be widely discussed among the entire people and society; matters concerning the governance of a part of the country and the interests of the people in a specific region should be widely discussed among the masses in that part and region; matters concerning the governance of specific state affairs and the interests of a portion of the people or specific groups should be widely discussed among that portion of the people; matters concerning the governance of grassroots society and the interests of grassroots people should be widely discussed among the masses in the corresponding grassroots scope. In short, “the process of extensive discussion among all parties within the people is a process of promoting democracy and pooling wisdom, a process of unifying thinking and building consensus, a process of scientific and democratic decision-making, and a process of realizing the people being the masters of the country.” [13]

中国式现代化的宏伟目标和艰巨任务，内在要求进一步强化全过程人民民主的国家治理功能，把民主选举、民主协商、民主决策、民主管理、民主监督有机贯通起来，把坚持人民当家作主落实到国家治理和社会发展的一切领域，更好实现直接民主和间接民主的有机统一、过程民主和成果民主的有机统一、程序民主和实质民主的有机统一、人民民主和国家意志的有机统一。实现全过程人民民主的这一真正意义和核心价值，就要在推进国家和社会治理现代化中牢牢把握住人民民主的真谛，即有事好商量、众人的事情由众人商量。涉及国家整体治理的事情，涉及全国各族人民利益的事情，在全体人民和全社会中广泛商量；涉及国家局部治理的事情，涉及某个地域人民群众利益的事情，在这个局部和地域的群众中广泛商量；涉及某些具体国家事务治理的事情，涉及一部分群众利益和特定群众利益的事情，在这部分群众中广泛商量；涉及基层社会治理的事情，涉及基层群众利益的事情，在相应基层范围群众中广泛商量。总之，“在人民内部各方面广泛商量的过程，就是发扬民主、集思广益的过程，就是统一思想、凝聚共识的过程，就是科学决策、民主决策的过程，就是实现人民当家作主的过程。”

III

三

Popular support is the greatest politics, and the direction of popular support is the deepest connotation of people’s democracy. Securing people’s hearts, uniting popular support, forming the greatest common divisor, and gathering the mighty force for comprehensively building a modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the unique view of democracy contained in Chinese-path modernization. Democracy means that everyone enjoys equal status and equal rights, and is equal before national governance, social affairs, and the law. The full coverage of China’s whole-process people’s democracy prominently reflects the tremendous advantages of equality and inclusiveness. Under the common political value of the people being the masters of the country, it fully respects the people’s demands for equal value, most broadly accommodates opinions and suggestions from all sides, unites all political groups and social forces, forms the broadest possible patriotic united front, promotes harmony in political party relations, ethnic relations, religious relations, social stratum relations, and relations between compatriots at home and abroad, achieves great unity and great solidarity on the basis of equal relations, and continuously consolidates and develops “a political situation in which there is both centralism and democracy, both discipline and freedom, both unity of will and personal ease of mind and lively activity” [14]. This is an inevitable result and prominent advantage of developing whole-process people’s democracy. To achieve and consolidate such a lively political situation, it is necessary to correctly handle the relationship between uniformity and diversity, and fully release the inclusive function of socialist democracy. China’s whole-process people’s democracy, especially consultative democracy, covers all political parties, groups, ethnic groups, social strata, sectors, and people from all walks of life, covers all areas of national governance and economic and social development, and has great political inclusiveness. Through extensive, multi-tiered, and institutionalized democratic consultations, extensive and full consultations are conducted on major issues of national governance, the national economy, and people’s livelihood, as well as on hot, difficult, blocking, and painful issues involving the vital interests of the people. Comprehensive and inclusive consultation platforms are built, with more discussion on matters, regular discussion on affairs, discussion of the many’s affairs by the many, and repeated discussion on major matters. This maximizes the consideration of the interests of all sides, maximizes the accommodation of the demands of all sides, maximizes the integration of the wisdom of all sides, forms public policies and measures acceptable and adoptable by all sides, and forms the greatest common divisor that conforms to the interests and will of the vast majority of the people, jointly advancing the modernization of national and social governance. It is precisely in continuously enhancing and firmly relying on the modernizing force of the democratic system to advance the modernization of national and social governance that whole-process people’s democracy on the new journey of Chinese-path modernization demonstrates its unique political value and broad development prospects.

民心是最大的政治，民心所向是人民民主的最深邃内涵。守住人心、凝聚民心，形成最大公约数，汇聚起全面建设社会主义现代化国家、实现中华民族伟大复兴的磅礴力量，是中国式现代化蕴含的独特民主观。民主意味着人人享有平等的地位和平等的权利，在国家治理、社会事务、法律地位面前人人平等。我国全过程人民民主的全覆盖性，突出体现了平等性和包容性的巨大优势。在人民当家作主这一共同政治价值下，充分尊重人民群众的平等价值诉求，最广泛地包容各方面意见和建议，凝聚一切政治团体和社会力量，形成最广泛的爱国统一战线，促进政党关系、民族关系、宗教关系、阶层关系、海内外同胞关系的和谐，在平等关系基础上实现大团结大联合，不断巩固和发展“又有集中又有民主，又有纪律又有自由，又有统一意志、又有个人心情舒畅、生动活泼的政治局面”，这是发展全过程人民民主的必然结果和突出优势。实现和巩固这样一种生动活泼的政治局面，就要正确处理一致性和多样性的关系，充分释放社会主义民主的包容性功能。我国全过程人民民主尤其是协商民主，涵盖各党派、各团体、各民族、各阶层、各界别和各方面人士，覆盖国家治理和经济社会发展一切领域，具有极大的政治包容性。通过广泛多层制度化的民主协商，围绕治国理政、国计民生重大问题和涉及人民群众切身利益的热点难点堵点痛点问题进行广泛充分协商，构建全覆盖包容性的商量平台，有事多商量，做事常商量，众人的事情由众人商量，重大的事情反复商量，最大程度兼顾各方面利益，最大限度包容各方面诉求，最大深度融汇各方面智慧，形成各方面均可接受和采纳的公共政策和公共措施，形成符合最大多数人利益和意愿的最大公约数，共同推进国家和社会治理现代化。正是在不断提升和紧紧依靠民主制度现代化力量推进国家和社会治理现代化上，中国式现代化新征程上的全过程人民民主，彰显出特有的政治价值和广阔的发展前景。

Online Editor: Zhang Fujun

网络编辑：张福军