From Solo to Cluster Governance: An Empirical Study of Transforming Rural Management in Guiyang, China

Hailing Liu, Wenjun Fan, Xiaoyu Zhou, Yuting Wang, Chengcheng Yuan () and Liming Liu
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Hailing Liu: College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Wenjun Fan: College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Xiaoyu Zhou: Business School, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
Yuting Wang: Business School, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
Chengcheng Yuan: College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Liming Liu: College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: As China shifts from urbanization to rural revitalization within its rural governance strategy, devising appropriate governance programs becomes crucial for the effective implementation of overarching strategies. This paper explores the policy pathway of the rural revitalization strategy via the lens of village relational governance. This paper builds a relational network of village governance using the Newtonian gravity model and proposes an effective relational governance policy by analyzing the impact of village cluster patterns under different policy rules. Empirical research was conducted in Guiyang County, Hunan Province, China. The findings of this paper are as follows. (1) Rural development in Guiyang County heavily relies on location advantages and natural resources, and there is an urgent need to reinvent the path of rural governance to foster potential rural clusters. (2) A comparative analysis of the relational networks shows that the assignment-based network has more high-clustering groups and fewer low-clustering clusters than the merit-based network, and it has more cluster types, resulting in a more balanced and diverse network structure. In contrast, the merit-based network has fewer cluster types and tends to have a centralized structure. (3) The assignment-type network has greater advantages in terms of agricultural productivity, preserving local culture, and protecting the environment. Simultaneously, its network path has the potential to boost the intrinsic vitality of rural areas and attract more groups to contribute to its development. This path is feasible due to the high level of organization within the Chinese villages. Consequently, this study recommends that the county government should actively decentralize power to villages and grant villages equal development rights to encourage villages to build network clusters with unique competitive advantages.

Keywords: rural revitalization; sustainable development; relational governance; gravity model; social network analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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