This book is based on an empirical research on the governance and reform of the contemporary township system in China. It provides an insightful and innovative understanding of China's township system. The book consists of four parts. The first part discusses the historical changes, present situation and practical operation of China's township system. The second part compares several practice models of reform, and analyses the motivational forces, path and trend of the reform process. The third part studies the reconstruction of modern township governance system and other relevant institutional innovations. The fourth part focuses on the investigation and case analysis of the actual operation of the township system at multi-dimensional levels.

Township System: Township Organization: History and Change; Township System: Text and Reality; Township Leaders: Rational Actors; Bureaucratic Governance: A Mistake in Rural; Township Reform: Reform of Government Organs Streamlining Type; Reform of Power Reconstruction Type; Reform of Relations Reconstruction Type; Comparative Research; Dynamic, Route, Limitation and Trend for Township; Township Reconstructing: Reconstructing of Modern Town Government System; "Backward" Mechanism or "Anti-Backward" Mechanism ? Interaction Between Central and Local Governments Before and After the Rural Taxes and Fees Reform; Pressure Response Type System's Innovation ? Interpreting from "Xian'an Political Reform"; Xian'an Political Reform: Incremental Reform in System ? Comprehensive Supplementary Reform Research in Henggouqiao Town of Xian'an; From "Supporting People" to "Supporting Public Service": The Rural Public Service Mechanism Reform ? Reform Investigation of Stations in Gaoqiao Town of Xian'an District; "Turning Over Baked Cake": Township Reform Comment of Gucheng County; "Family Planning": Survey on a Policy Operation Mechanism ? Taking Xian'an District of Hubei Province as an Example; Efficiency Priority: Preliminary Exploration on Anhui's Township System Reform Route; Use Money to Maintain Operation: To Build New Mechanism of Service-Type Government ? Taking Hubei Xian'an as an Example;