Political Relations and Role of the Village Chief in Grassroots Village (Sub-District) Governance

Abstract

AbstractThe village (sub-district) is the fourth-level administrative territorial entity in Taiwan; it forms the grassroots political organizations in the local autonomous political system, but the village (sub-district) office is neither a unit nor an organ, it is only an office where the village (sub-district) director deals with the village (sub-district) affairs. The chief of the village (sub-district) not only needs to assist the public department in handling the public affairs of the Li, communicate with the higher authorities to respond to the needs of the Li people, and handle various activities for the Li people; but also needs to respond to the requirements of the people, and peremptorily, he is the “Big head” in the village or “local guardian god.” The village (sub-district) chief is elected by the people; hence, he cannot naturally enjoy the treatment given to public servants, but always has to face the civil servants’ disciplinary law. This paradox is puzzling, but Taiwan’s 7,851 villages (sub-districts) elect a chief for honor and voluntary governance of the grassroots community. Since local election highly influence the life of villagers (sub-district) and with continuously expanding powers, the village (sub-district) chief, who is highly involved in the life of villagers (sub-district), plays an important role in the grassroots governance.