Setting the Rules Straight: When to Act and When to Listen?

Editor's Note: Setting the Rules Straight: How the World's Largest Party Governs Itself is a 12-episode video series offering an in-depth examination of how the century-old governing party, the Communist Party of China (CPC), confronts its internal challenges and seeks to renew itself. 

The series invites viewers to look beyond short-term political cycles and consider a fundamental question: What does it take to sustain effective governance over generations? 

This episode examines how officials can strike a balance between decisive leadership and public consultation, avoiding the dangers of acting too hastily or hesitating when action is needed.

Governance often involves a difficult balance. Roll out a policy without consulting the public, and it may fail to win support. But give too much weight to a minority's misguided views while overlooking the concerns of the majority, officials may hesitate to make necessary decisions. This is the trap of commandism and tailism. The real challenge is to provide clear leadership while remaining responsive to people's needs.

Chongqing's 2015 medical price reform is a case in point. The city raised fees for some medical services while lowering others, but rolled out the plan without adequate public consultation or assessment of its impact on patients. It was suspended within about a week following public opposition, and the authorities apologized. The lesson is clear: a policy that fails to take public needs fully into account can quickly lose public support.

But indecision can be equally costly—and avoidable. In some communities in Huangshi, Hubei Province, a single neighbor's objection once prevented an entire building from installing an elevator, leaving most residents to continue climbing the stairs. The city subsequently introduced a rule allowing projects to proceed with the support of a majority of residents. Legitimate concerns about light, noise or cost must be addressed, but objections without valid grounds can no longer hold up a project. Officials were also given clear responsibilities for providing guidance, organizing residents and mediating disputes. Within two years, 1,773 elevators had been installed, benefiting nearly 100,000 people. The concerns of the few were heard, without leaving the needs of the many unmet.

So, how can officials lead decisively while remaining responsive? The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee offers a perspective. It emphasized full and rigorous Party self-governance, close ties with the people and a stronger sense of responsibility among officials. Good governance needs officials who decide in time, and stay open to public concerns. They must answer for their decisions. and make sure policies actually land.

China's targeted poverty alleviation campaign offers a practical example. Instead of applying the same measures everywhere, officials identified the specific needs of individual households. They tailored assistance to local conditions. From 2012 to 2020, nearly 99 million rural residents were lifted out of extreme poverty. This experience shows why policy-making must be grounded in local realities. It also shows why implementation must deliver tangible results.

Good governance is not decisions imposed from above nor policies dictated by shifting public opinion. It is officials who listen, who judge soundly, and who take responsibility for deciding and delivering.