Grassroots Governance by Local Government Clerks and Runners and Its Modern Transformation: Social Restructuring and Remolding of Social Order

Abstract

AbstractThe “modernity” transformation and thinking of traditional grassroots social order in China began with the construction and modernization of the nation-state since modern times. However, in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, the controversies and practices on the construction of grassroots political power and social transformation are still aimed at an old problem, that is, the abuse of power and corruption of grassroots officials that has been extended from the imperial system. The idea of building grassroots political power organizations and local autonomy is not a fundamental change, much less a revolution. Therefore, the question we need to ask is how much the “modernity” thinking and reform design of the traditional Chinese grassroots social order contains the meaning of public power construction with the basic task of constructing rural public social relations.