Chinese Journal of Sociology

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Project System and Its Impact on Relationship between Different Levels of Government

Author 1: CHEN Jiajian, Social Work Development Research Center, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics； Author 2: ZHANG Qiongwen, Social Work Development Research Center, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics； Author 3: HU Yu, Social Work Development Research Center, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics   

  • Online:2015-09-20 Published:2015-09-20
  • Contact: CHEN Jiajian, Social Work Development Research Center, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics E-mail:1983970000@163.com
  • Supported by:
    This research is supported by National Social Science Fund of China (15CSH049).

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Abstract:  In recent years， project initiatives became an important administrative vehicle of the Chinese state governance.Existing literature speculate without documented empirical data that the system has increased the control of higher level authorities over their subordinates，affecting the lower level governments’ ability for overall coordination.To verify such claims this study examines a central government sponsored project of microlending program for women in Sichuan province. The finding indicates that although the project system provides opportunities for more higher level government control，it also allows lower level governments more bargaining power as counter weight. Unlike the institutionalized administrative contract system，in which rights and responsibilities are fixed，the project system permits negotiation on a projecttoproject base，allowing lower level governments to extract terms beneficial to local interests. Therefore，it is not just a topdown one way control. It is a twoway fluid relationship that is constantly in negotiation， clarification and formalization. In our view，the project system has forced local governments to protect local interest by focusing on clarification of rules and regulations，and formalization of rights and responsibilities. This began to have a farreaching effect on local governance，as well as the relationship between different levels of governments， and between state and society.

Key words: relationship of rights and responsibilities , disembeddedness, countercharge , basic level governance ,  project system