State-led Rural Revitalization through Programs：Planning， Governance and Challenges

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Abstract

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Research Background 1

1.2 Rural Governance and State-led Programs as Research Focuses 3

1.3 Research Objectives and Questions 4

1.4 Research Significance 5

1.5 Outline of the Book 6

References 7

2 Review of Governance Theory and Rural Programs 10

2.1 Understanding Rural Governance from A Comparative Perspective 10

2.1.1 China’s Zhili in Dispute: Therapy， Ruling or Governance? 10

2.1.2 Rural Governance in the West 14

2.1.3 International Experience about Program-driven Governance 15

2.1.4 Legacy of Rural Governance in China 17

2.2 The Rise of Rural Programs in China 19

2.2.1 Rural Issues Matter 19

2.2.2 Fiscal Background in the Formation of Rural Programs 21

2.2.3 Booming State-led Programs in the Countryside 22

2.2.4 Programs and Foundations in History 25

2.2.5 Program System Embedding Bureaucracy and Market 26

2.3 Rural Governance Changes Driven by State-led Programs in China 27

2.3.1 Intergovernmental Relations 27

2.3.2 Performance of State-dominated Programs 29

2.3.3 Effects on Local Governance 30

2.4 Summary 31

References 32

3 Conceptual Framework and Methodology 40

3.1 Conceptual Framework and Research Process 40

3.2 Research Area 42

3.2.1 Jiangning District 42

3.2.2 Tangjiajia Village 44

3.2.3 Xinghui Village 45

3.3 Data Sources and Collection 47

References 49

4 Governing the Countryside through State-led Programs in Jiangning 50

4.1 Introduction 50

4.2 Local Response to Policy Directives 51

4.2.1 Intergovernmental and Social Mobilization 52

4.2.2 Reconstructing the State Apparatus 54

4.2.3 Rural Planning 57

4.3 State Rescaling through Programs 60

4.3.1 Rhetorical Legitimization 61

4.3.2 Path-dependent Implementation 62

4.3.3 Legitimizing Land Expropriation 63

4.4 Conclusion 65

References 66

5 Commodification of Tangjiajia and Sustainable Governance in Question 69

5.1 Introduction 69

5.2 Rural Commodification， Rural Commons and the State Role 72

5.2.1 Rural Commodification and Entrepreneurialism 72

5.2.2 Interventional State and Rural Public Goods Provision 74

5.3 State-led Partnership Attracting the Community and Market 76

5.3.1 Tangjiajia—Grassroots Hot-Spring In Every Family 76

5.3.2 Community Entrepreneurship and Market Response 81

5.3.3 Home Consensus of the Community 86

5.4 Sustainable Provision of Public Goods in Question 89

5.4.1 Paradox and Provisionality in Rural Governance 89

5.4.2 Introducing Private Management—PPP Model in the Making 91

5.4.3 Sustainability in Question 92

5.5 Conclusion 94

References 96

6 Grassroots Participation in Xinghui and Challenges of Farming Governance 102

6.1 Introduction 102

6.2 Cooperatives， Family Farms， and Rural Governance 104

6.2.1 Cooperatives and Their Governance 104

6.2.2 Land Tenure Reform and Family Farms 106

6.2.3 An Ideal Governance Model 108

6.3 Xingbo Family Farm and Xinggen Cooperative 109

6.3.1 Xingbo Family Farm 110

6.3.2 Xinggen Cooperative 112

6.4 Grassroots Participation Driven by State-led Programs 113

6.4.1 The State-led Programs 113

6.4.2 Farmers’ Participation 116

6.5 Less-than-ideal Governance in the Two-tier Model 119

6.5.1 Social Service by Cooperatives 119

6.5.2 The Allocation of Profit 121

6.6 Conclusion 124

References 126

7 Conclusion and Discussion 131

7.1 Main Research Findings 131

7.2 Conceptualizing Rural Governance Driven By State-led Programs 135

7.3 Policy Implications for Rural Governance 138

7.4 Limitations and Future Research Agendas 140

References 141

Appendix 1 List of Interviewees 143

Appendix 2 Semi-structured Interview Questions 144

List of Figures

Fig.2.1 The central budget for “three rural issues”， 2003-2013 23

Fig.2.2 Relationship between strategy， program， and project 24

Fig.3.1 A conceptual framework for analyzing rural governance changes driven by programs in China 40

Fig.3.2 The research process of main issues in the book 42

Fig.3.3 Urban and rural income ratio among the cities of South Jiangsu 43

Fig.3.4 Location of three case sites in Nanjing 44

Fig.3.5 Tangjiajia and its immediate surroundings 45

Fig.3.6 Location of the Xingbo family farm in Xinghui Village 46

Fig.4.1 Process and rationales of local response 52

Fig.4.2 Integrating temporary agencies into permanent agencies 55

Fig.4.3 Land use layout of west Jiangning as a village system plan， named Demonstration Area of Beautiful Countryside Plan 58

Fig.4.4 A timeline for analyzing programs of multi-level governments 61

Fig.4.5 The simulacra making of Shitang Home 64

Fig.5.1 The increasing tertiary-sector income of rural Jiangning and its percentage in all sectors of rural economy 70

Fig.5.2 Logo of Tangjiajia， symbolizing a new tourist attraction focused on grassroots hot springs 78

Fig