Local Government's Roles in Innovative Management of Rural Areas:A Case Study of the "Rules for Commitment of Village Leaders to Business" Practiced in J City,Zhejiang Province

The practice for village leaders to take on the commitment to business,originating from the City of J,Zhejiang Province,in the 1990s,is an institutional innovation,designed by peasants and encouraged by the local government,in the management of rural areas.The local government has acted as the explorer,supporter,promoter and policy provider in the whole process.Its active participation therein in the context of village autonomy is attributed,among others,to the change of China's overall policy,the realistic demand for social development in rural areas,and the restrictive and stimulating mechanisms in the current pressure-oriented administrative system.The paper suggests that,in the institutional innovation in rural administration,the local government rationally define its extent of administrative power and actively encourage the lawful participation on the part of ordinary villagers.