Autonomy of Communities

Autonomy or self-government of communities refers to the process that the community organization, in light of the will of community residents, form a collective choice to manage community affairs according to law, including external and internal affairs. External affairs mainly include the implementation of national and local policies, regulations and standards, the linkage of community management and city management, and the performance supervision of community representatives, etc.; while internal affairs include community internal management, services and education. It involves the process that community residents, in light of the principles of “managing their own affairs” and “jointly solving problems facing everyone”, implement democratic elections, democratic decision-making, democratic management, and democratic supervision within the community, so as to realize self-management, self-education, and self-service, solve the problems of public affairs and public welfare within the community through democratic consultation, and jointly create a better and happy life. In China, community autonomy is an important part of the grassroots mass autonomy system. The basic forms of community autonomy include the resident conference system, democratic election system, democratic decision-making and democratic management system, democratic supervision system, resident convention and resident autonomy charter and resident committee work system.

The foundation is that community residents form a collective choice, and the collective choice conforms to national and local policies, regulations and standards. The means of community autonomy includes soliciting public opinions, collective choice, management and supervision. Community autonomy is based on the will of community residents. Its purpose is to maintain the democratic life of the community, the environmental sanitation and appearance of the community, and the atmosphere of active community participation in social management, and provide extensive, fair and high-quality services to community residents. Community autonomy should be guided by the four principles of community organization, collective choice, effective supervision, and conflict coordination. Community autonomy first requires an authoritative community organization. The community organization represents the image and interests of the community externally, reflects and implements the voices of the community, maintains community unity internally, and implements the three self-functions of “management, service and education” within the community. Collective choice refers to representing the interests of most community residents and giving consideration to the interests of vulnerable residents. The collective choice can’t be implemented unless community residents' will forms the collective choice of community's will and the government respects the community’s collective choice. To ensure the open, fair and impartial implementation of community autonomy affairs, an effective supervision mechanism must be established. Community autonomy affairs are public affairs, which are easy to be enjoyed by everyone but cared for by few people.

In order to achieve effective supervision, it is necessary to establish a hierarchical sanction mechanism, clarify the responsible subjects of management, operation, supervision, etc., and implement hierarchical sanctions through division of labor and collaboration, so as to ensure the hierarchical implementation of community autonomy affairs. The composition of community residents is complex, and contradictions and even conflicts are inevitable. Thus, a low-cost conflict coordination mechanism needs to be established, so as to solve contradictions and conflicts, and straighten out the relationship between various organizations at low cost. Community level autonomy is conducive to the people acting as the masters of the country, improving the quality of urban residents’ participation and comprehensive development, improving the community management, forming a community of community, and performing the functions and tasks on the part of the government and the community.