Strengthening the Foundation of Primary-Level Party Building Urgently Requires Enhancing Three Capabilities

The Communist Party of China is the leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, occupying the position of exercising overall leadership and coordinating all parties. The leading position of the CPC determines the functional orientation of Party organizations in primary-level social governance, playing a fundamental role in guiding the direction of primary-level governance objectives and implementing institutional rules. Primary-level governance is the key link and top priority in the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-Path Modernization" adopted at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC clearly states the need to "improve the primary-level mass self-governance mechanism led by primary-level Party organizations, perfect the primary-level democratic system and work system, and broaden the channels for orderly participation of various primary-level organizations and the masses in primary-level governance." To deeply advance primary-level governance led by Party building and perfect the institutional mechanisms for the Party's comprehensive leadership over primary-level governance, the key lies in properly handling the dialectical relationship between primary-level Party organization building and efficient social governance, fully leveraging the "backbone" role of primary-level Party organizations in social governance, enabling primary-level Party organizations to penetrate the "nerve endings" of social governance, continuously enhancing the leadership capacity, organizational capacity, and execution capacity of primary-level Party organizations, effectively improving the Party's governance capacity and leadership level, and ensuring the orderly and healthy development of society.

中国共产党是中国特色社会主义事业的领导核心，处在总揽全局、协调各方的地位。中国共产党的领导地位，决定了党组织在基层社会治理中的功能定位，对基层治理的目标方向指引和制度规则落实起到根本性作用。基层治理是国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的关键环节和重中之重。党的二十届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革 推进中国式现代化的决定》明确指出，要“健全基层党组织领导的基层群众自治机制，完善基层民主制度体系和工作体系，拓宽基层各类组织和群众有序参与基层治理渠道”。深入推进以党建引领基层治理，完善党全面领导基层治理的体制机制，关键要处理好基层党组织建设和社会高效治理之间的辩证关系，充分发挥基层党组织在社会治理中的“主心骨”作用，促使基层党组织贯穿到社会治理的“神经末梢”，不断提升基层党组织的领导能力、组织能力、执行能力，切实提高党的执政能力和领导水平，确保社会有序健康发展。

Enhancing Leadership Capacity, Exerting a Guiding Role

提升领导能力，发挥引领作用

Primary-level Party organizations are the terminal embodiment of strengthening the Party's comprehensive leadership and consolidating its ruling position, concentratedly manifested as the political guiding force of primary-level Party organizations over social governance. Primary-level Party organizations are important bonds linking and serving the masses, serving as the "last kilometer" for implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee. In recent years, on the basis of improving the leadership mechanisms for primary-level governance led by Party building at the city and county levels, various localities have focused on effectively extending the Party's leadership and organizational systems to the primary-level extremities. Through working methods such as "micro-grid real grids" [1]1 "Micro-grid real grids" (微网实格) refers to a refined primary-level governance model that divides communities into smaller grid units to enhance management and service precision. and smart platforms, they have promoted the downward shift of focus and the sinking of forces, solving the primary-level governance problem of "a small horse pulling a big cart." [2]2 "A small horse pulling a big cart" (小马拉大车) is a Chinese idiom describing a situation where limited resources or capacity are tasked with an overly heavy burden, here referring to the strain on under-resourced primary-level organizations. The primary task of primary-level Party organizations in social governance is to ensure the correct political direction, resolutely implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, and strictly carry out all decisions of Party organizations. Especially when responding to major risks and challenges, primary-level Party organizations are the basic "cells" for whether "concentrating forces to accomplish major tasks" can be achieved, and they are related to the health and stability of the entire social organism. The leadership capacity of primary-level Party organizations is the concentrated embodiment of influence, credibility, and combat effectiveness. Primary-level Party organizations must be built into strong fighting fortresses that propagate the Party's propositions, implement the Party's decisions, lead primary-level governance, unite and mobilize the masses, and promote reform and development.

党的基层组织是加强党的全面领导、巩固党的执政地位的终端体现，集中体现为基层党组织对社会治理的政治引领力。基层党组织是联系服务群众的重要纽带，是贯彻落实党中央决策部署的“最后一公里”。近年来，各地在完善市县两级党建引领基层治理领导体制机制的基础上，聚焦推动党的领导和组织体系向基层末梢有效延伸，通过“微网实格”、智慧平台等工作方式促进重心下移、力量下沉，破解“小马拉大车”这一基层治理难题。基层党组织进行社会治理的首要任务是要保证其正确的政治方向，坚决贯彻落实党中央决策部署，严格执行党组织的各项决定，特别是在应对重大风险挑战的时候，基层党组织是能否做到“集中力量办大事”的基础“细胞”，关系到整个社会有机体的健康稳定。基层党组织的领导能力就是影响力、公信力、战斗力的集中体现，要将基层党组织建设成为宣传党的主张、贯彻党的决定、领导基层治理、团结动员群众、推动改革发展的坚强战斗堡垒。

The enhancement of the leadership capacity of primary-level Party organizations, when implemented at the practical level, requires: first, the standardization and normalization of Party organization construction, increasing the intensity of establishing Party organizations in "two enterprises and three new" [3]3 "Two enterprises and three new" (两企三新) refers to two types of enterprises (private and foreign-invested) and three new types of organizations (new economic, new social, and new self-employed entities), which are key targets for expanding Party organization coverage. sectors, promoting the rectification and transformation of "weak and lax" primary-level Party organizations, and ensuring tangible and effective coverage of primary-level Party organizations. Second, optimizing the team of primary-level Party organization leaders, enhancing the attractiveness of the position of primary-level Party organization secretaries, and selecting and strengthening leaders. Third, promoting the overall improvement of the quality of Party member teams, fully leveraging the exemplary vanguard role of Party members, strengthening theoretical study for Party members and cadres, especially primary-level leading cadres, enabling them to correctly understand the relationship between primary-level Party building and social governance, accurately grasp the meaning of "guidance," and in the process of implementing Party leadership throughout the entire process of primary-level mobilization, earnestly fulfill the responsibility of guidance, achieving neither "taking over everything" nor "letting things drift," and certainly not "bossing people around." Fourth, conducting thematic education and training, enabling primary-level Party organizations to deeply grasp changes in social forms, organizational patterns, and mass demands, identify the "greatest common divisor" of interests among multiple subjects in social governance, and be adept at ensuring the effective implementation of the Party's line, principles, and policies while coordinating the participation of various subjects in social co-construction.

基层党组织领导能力的提升落实到实践层面上，一是要求党组织的标准化规范化建设，加大“两企三新”党组织的组建力度，推进“软弱涣散”基层党组织整顿转化，确保党的基层组织有形有效覆盖。二是优化基层党组织带头人队伍，增强基层党组织书记岗位吸引力，选优配强带头人。三是推进党员队伍质量整体提升，充分发挥党员先锋模范作用，强化党员干部尤其是基层领导干部的理论学习，促使他们正确认识基层党建与社会治理的关系，准确把握“引领”的含义，在将党的领导落实到基层动员的全过程中，切实担负好引领的职责，做到既不“包揽代办”也不“放任自流”，更不能“颐指气使”。四是开展主题教育培训，使基层党组织深刻把握社会形态、组织形式、群众诉求的变化，找准社会治理多元主体的利益“最大公约数”，善于在协调各个主体参与社会共建中保证党的路线方针政策有效落实。

Enhancing Organizational Capacity, Consolidating the Foundation of Governance

提升组织能力，夯实执政根基

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC proposed "improving the Party's leadership methods and governance methods, and enhancing the political functions and organizational capacity of Party organizations at all levels." The organizational capacity of primary-level Party organizations is related to the Party's long-term governance capacity. In his speech at the 2018 National Organizational Work Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "To build a house, one must first lay a solid foundation." [4]4 "To build a house, one must first lay a solid foundation" (欲筑室者，先治其基) is a classical Chinese allusion from the political essay "On Government" (为政) by Su Che of the Song Dynasty, emphasizing the importance of a strong foundation. Primary-level Party organizations are the foundation of the Party's governance edifice; if the foundation is solid, the edifice is firm; if the foundation is loose, the edifice collapses. All strategic thoughts and strategic deployments of the Party Central Committee must be realized through effective organization of the vast number of primary-level Party members and the masses. Primary-level Party organizations are the "last kilometer" for implementing the Party's line, principles, and policies, and also the "first kilometer" for directly organizing and linking with the masses to consolidate the foundation of governance. For this reason, primary-level Party organizations must highlight the political functions of primary-level organizations, strengthen the leadership of primary-level organizations over all work at the primary level, take enhancing the organizational capacity of primary-level organizations as the focus of work, diligently study the experiences and lessons of the Party in organizing the masses during the periods of revolution, construction, and reform and opening up, combine the general laws of organizing the masses, the characteristics of the times, and the actual conditions at the primary level, and actively explore effective ways to enhance the organizational capacity of primary-level organizations in the New Era.

党的十九届四中全会提出，“改进党的领导方式和执政方式，增强各级党组织政治功能和组织力”。基层党组织的组织力如何，关系党的长期执政能力建设。习近平总书记在2018年的全国组织工作会议上的讲话中强调，“欲筑室者，先治其基。”基层党组织是党执政大厦的地基，地基固则大厦坚，地基松则大厦倾。党中央所有战略思想与战略部署，都必须依靠对广大基层党员和人民群众的有效组织来实现，党的基层组织是贯彻落实党的路线、方针、政策的“最后一公里”，也是直接组织联系群众筑牢执政根基的“第一公里”。正因为如此，基层党组织必须突出基层组织的政治功能，强化基层组织对基层一切工作的领导，以提升基层组织的组织力作为工作重点，努力学习党在革命、建设和改革各个时期组织群众的经验教训，结合组织群众的一般规律、时代特点和基层实际等，积极探索在新时代增强基层组织力的有效途径。

Under the major trend of social mobility and fragmentation, the effectiveness of top-down organization has decreased, and primary-level Party building has shown a tendency toward "suspension" [5]5 "Suspension" (悬浮化) describes a situation where primary-level Party organizations become detached from grassroots realities, failing to effectively integrate into or influence local governance. in primary-level governance, which to a certain extent weakens the Party's political functions and prevents Party organizations from effectively playing their core role in primary-level governance. Therefore, a tight organizational system is a fundamental condition for enhancing the organizational capacity of primary-level Party organizations. Building an organizational system that is "connected from top to bottom and effective in execution" inherently requires the linkage and coordination of the network "unit layer," the community "basic layer," the street "hub layer," and the city-county "command layer," embedding the Party's decisions and deployments into the most basic levels of social governance. However, the subject that truly reflects organizational capacity is "people." Its core essence is that in primary-level governance, Party organizations can effectively organize the masses, propagate among the masses, unite the masses, and serve the masses. This is essentially a kind of mobilizing, appealing, uniting, and cohesive force that transforms the Party's correct propositions into the conscious actions of the masses, mobilizing the initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity of the broadest masses, truly achieving the gathering of people's hearts, people's strength, and people's wisdom.

在社会流动化和碎片化的大趋势下，自上而下的组织有效性降低，基层党建在基层治理中出现“悬浮化”倾向，在一定程度上削弱了党的政治功能，使党组织无法有效发挥在基层治理中的核心作用。因此，严密的组织体系是提升基层党组织组织能力的基础性条件。构建“上下贯通、执行有力”的组织体系，其应有之义在于网络“单元层”、社区“基础层”、街道“枢纽层”、市县“指挥层”的联动协同，把党的决策部署贯穿到社会治理的最基层。而真正体现组织能力的主体在于“人”，其核心要义是在基层治理中党组织能够有效组织群众、宣传群众、凝聚群众、服务群众，实际是一种把党的正确主张变为群众自觉行动的动员力、号召力、团结力和凝聚力，调动最广大人民的积极性、主动性、创造性，真正做到凝民心、聚民力、汇民智。

Enhancing Execution Capacity, Cultivating Practical Skills

提升执行能力，练就实干本领

Whether the organizational capacity of primary-level Party organizations is strong, handling major tasks is the touchstone and the whetstone. In the process of social governance, facing the primary-level situation with numerous threads and diverse interest demands, the ability and level of primary-level community Party organizations to respond to public, overall, and sudden events are crucial. They must not only have the ability to set direction and plan overall situations, integrating various resources to resist various uncertainties, but also continuously enhance their rapid response capability to prevent risks and resolve risk challenges, handling them scientifically and efficiently. Among them, the leadership and execution capacity of Party members and cadres directly affects the level of governance. This requires continuously improving their own ideological and political quality and professional competence in daily work, truly achieving that when the Party and the people need them, they come when called, can do the work when they come, and can accomplish it when they do it.

基层党组织组织能力强不强，抓重大任务落实是试金石，也是磨刀石。在社会治理过程中，面对头绪繁多、利益诉求多元的基层状况，基层社区党组织应对公共性、全局性和突发性事件的能力和水平至关重要，既要有把方向、谋大局的能力，整合各方资源抵御各种不确定性，还要不断增强其防范风险和化解风险挑战的快速反应能力，科学高效地加以应对处置。其中，党员干部的领导和执行能力直接关系到治理水平的高低，这就要求在日常工作中要不断提升自己的思想政治素质和业务能力，真正做到党和人民需要时，召之即来，来之能干，干之能成。

Execution capacity is the fundamental ability for undertaking and accomplishing tasks; execution capacity is combat effectiveness, and it is an important standard for testing the ability of primary-level Party organizations to implement tasks. Enhancing the execution capacity of primary-level Party organizations requires primary-level Party organizations to strengthen work style construction, set an example among the masses, strengthen the spirit of struggle and a practical work style, resolutely struggle against formalism and bureaucracy, and with the perseverance of "leaving a mark on the iron and a print on the stone," [6]6 "Leaving a mark on the iron and a print on the stone" (抓铁有痕、踏石留印) is a Chinese idiom popularized by an attitude of seeking truth from facts, a meticulous strictness, a persistent tenacity, and a determination to follow through to the end, earnestly shoulder the responsibilities of primary-level Party organizations. At the same time, it is also necessary to recognize the defects and shortcomings of the government taking on everything. This requires primary-level Party organizations to take the path of pooling collective wisdom and efforts, establishing and improving mechanisms for primary-level community resident self-governance, democratic consultation, and social participation, guiding the masses to participate in managing community affairs, closely linking the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee with the specific realities of the region and department, strengthening work implementation in the process of "practice—cognition—re-practice—re-cognition," and promoting the development of primary-level social governance led by Party building toward coordination, standardization, and systematization.

执行力是干事创业的根本能力，执行力就是战斗力，是检验基层党组织抓落实本领的重要标准。提升基层党组织的执行力，需要基层党组织加强作风建设，在群众中起到表率作用，强化奋斗精神和实干作风，坚决同形式主义、官僚主义作斗争，以“抓铁有痕、踏石留印”的毅力、求真务实的态度、一丝不苟的严劲、持之以恒的韧劲和一抓到底的狠劲，切实担负起基层党组织责任。同时，还要看到政府包揽一切存在的缺陷和不足，这就要求基层党组织要走群策群力的路径，建立健全基层社区居民自治、民主协商、社会参与机制，引导群众参与管理社区事务，将党中央的决策部署同本地区、本部门的具体实际密切联系起来，在“实践—认识—再实践—再认识”的过程中强化工作落实，推动党建引领基层社会治理向协调化、规范化、系统化发展。

With the downward shift of the center of gravity in modern social governance and the continuous development of the governance pattern of “small government, big society,” dispersed primary-level forces and resources find it difficult to meet the needs of social governance. In fact, primary-level Party organization building and social governance are unified within the major proposition of “modernizing the national governance system and governance capacity.” This requires that in primary-level governance practice, we continuously strengthen the construction of the Party’s primary-level organization system, reinforce the leading core role of Party organizations at all levels, comprehensively build an organization system that “extends vertically to the bottom” and a social governance system that “extends horizontally to the edges,” and solve the problem of “two separate skins” [7]7 “Two separate skins” (两张皮) is a Chinese political idiom referring to a situation where two related aspects of work are formally linked but in practice operate independently and are disconnected from each other. between Party building and governance from the perspective of institutional design.

随着现代社会治理重心的下移以及“小政府、大社会”治理格局的不断发展，分散的基层力量和资源难以应对社会治理的需要。事实上，基层党组织建设和社会治理统一于“国家治理体系和治理能力现代化”的重大命题中。这就要求在基层治理实践中不断加强党的基层组织体系建设，强化各级党组织的领导核心作用，全面构建“纵向到底”的组织体系和“横向到边”的社会治理体系，从制度设计上解决党建和治理“两张皮”的问题。

(Author: Dong Tianmei, Associate Professor, School of Marxism, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

（作者：董天美，中国科学院大学马克思主义学院副教授）

Online Editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧