1 Civil society or corporatism? Case 3: Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims Village Elections and Civil Society

Village elections Bottom-up initiatives 1980-81 Guangxi Province Truly self-organized, informally elected elders banned gambling and theft maintained irrigation ditches, roads mediated disputes raised money, organized labor rebuild schools care for poor, elderly

Village elections Top-down attention to village elections Peng Zhen 1941 wrote report on village elections in Communist- controlled areas of rural China Technique for strengthening support for CCP 1982 as Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Sent investigation team to Guangxi to study, promote village elec 1982 Constitution Village committees Elected mass organizations of self government

Village elections Top-down promotion of elections for villagers’ committees 1987 trial regulations 1998 full law

Question for discussion What do you think was the motivation of the central leadership in passing the “Organic Law of Villagers’ Committees,” mandating village elections?

Village elections Melanie Manion, University of Wisconsin “strengthen Communist party rule” “replace coercive and corrupt ‘local emperors’” “An institutional design that subjects leaders to voter choice and rejection at regular intervals can be expected to constrain leaders—who are chosen through a process in which ordinary villagers have a voice—to act in the collective interest rather than in their private interest.” (p. 305)

Village elections—results Manion: Which factors increase trust in local leaders? (Table 3) Choices on ballot (“ electoral contestation”) Real opportunitites to participate (“reported voting”) NO dominant clan (“surname diversity”) Improving economic conditions (“per capita income change”)

Village elections—results Many villages lack real elections Interview with farmer in Hunan (2007): “The appointment of the village leader and village party secretary are in the hands of the township government…the average person has no say in the matter. Even in recent years when village elections have been implemented, the township still puts forward the names, and the results of the election have been poor.” If elections aren’t meaningful or elected leaders aren’t any better, voter apathy ensues.