Developing socialist democratic politics, perfecting socialist legal system and striving to build socialist democratic politics with China characteristics are important contents of Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and Theory of Three Represents, and are also the essential requirements and inherent attributes of socialism. There can be no socialism without democracy. People's democratic dictatorship, people's congress system, multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the Chinese production party are all important contents of China's socialist democratic political construction. To develop socialist democratic politics, the most fundamental thing is to organically unite upholding the leadership of the party, the people being the masters of the country and governing the country according to law.
After entering the socialist society, how to build state power in the field of political superstructure and consolidate and improve the socialist system is a major historical issue facing all socialist countries. Under the leadership of China's * * * Production Party, the people of China have finally successfully established a set of socialist democratic political system that meets the requirements of China's national conditions and social development, initially mastered the basic laws of democratic political construction under the contemporary social and historical conditions in China, and embarked on a new road of developing socialist democratic politics. We should cherish the historic achievements in China's democratic political construction, and never sell ourselves short. We should deeply understand and grasp the laws of democratic political construction in contemporary China, unswervingly continue to explore and advance along this road, further give play to our institutional advantages, and make it develop and improve continuously in practice.
I. Overview of Socialist Democratic Politics
(A), the basic concept of democracy and its essence
The word "democracy" originated from Greek and first appeared in the book History by Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian. Greek Democracy consists of two words: demo and Craja. Demo means people and regions, Craja means rights and rule, and democratic will means people's power and people's political power. According to Aristotle, democracy is a system in which all citizens participate. It means that citizens are politically free and equal, directly participate in political power, jointly govern the country, and realize the rule of the majority. In a society where classes and countries exist, democracy is mainly manifested as a national form and a national form. As Lenin said: "The word democracy is literally translated from Greek, which means that the people are in power." Democracy is a national system based on the will of the majority, which recognizes that all citizens enjoy freedom and equal rights. Democracy recognizes that everyone has the equal right to decide the state system and manage the country.
1, democracy has classes. As a form of national system, democracy is the product of the development of human society to a certain stage. Primitive commune is just a democracy of non-state system. With the emergence of class and country, democracy, as a national system, has a class nature. Democracy is to admit that the minority is subordinate to the majority, that is, the democracy of the state system is an organization in which one class and some residents use systematic violence against another class. The essence of democracy lies in which class enjoys democracy. Democracy in slave countries is the democracy of slave owners, democracy in feudal countries is the democracy of feudal landlords, and democracy in capitalist countries is the democracy of the bourgeoisie. Therefore, as long as there are classes, we can't say pure democracy, only what kind of class democracy it is.
2. Democracy is a superstructure built on a certain economic basis. As a form of state system, democracy belongs to the superstructure of society. It is based on, determined by and serves a certain economic base. On the one hand, the nature and changes of the economic base determine the nature and changes of democracy. Different types of democracy appear on different economic bases. With the development and change of economic foundation, democracy based on economic foundation will also change; On the other hand, democracy, as a superstructure, can react to and serve a certain economic base, and the democratic form suitable for this economic base will be conducive to consolidating this economic base and promoting its development.
(B), the concept of socialist democracy
Socialist democracy is a comprehensive democracy, including citizens' economic, political and cultural rights. Socialist public ownership replaces capitalist private ownership, which fundamentally eliminates people's inequality in property ownership, and makes the broadest working people in an equal position and enjoy equal rights in the ownership, management, use and distribution of means of production. Under the premise of socialist public ownership, the working people first get the right of economic democracy, and then gradually improve the democratic system politically and expand the right of political democracy. Only in socialist society can "democracy" truly become "people's power", "people's political power" and "majority rule".
Socialist democracy is the unity of the state and the government. The so-called state system refers to the class nature of democracy and the fundamental political system of a country; The so-called political power refers to the organizational form of state power and a specific political system that embodies the state system. After the working class has established a socialist democratic system from the state system, it needs to be realized through a specific regime that is suitable for it. The Constitution of People's Republic of China (PRC) clearly stipulates that China is a socialist country under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants, which is the fundamental nature of our state power, that is, our state system; The basic political system adapted to China's national system is the people's congress system, which is the fundamental political system of our country.
Socialist democracy does not use bourgeois democracy. In essence, socialist democracy is a higher level democracy than capitalist democracy, and it has its own advantages and characteristics. Starting from the reality of China, we should build socialist democracy with China characteristics, give full play to the advantages and disadvantages of this democracy, and avoid the disadvantages of capitalist democracy. Socialist democracy is a national system established by the proletariat and the working people through the socialist revolution. This is by far the highest form of democracy in human history. The core and essence of socialist democracy is that the working people are masters of their own affairs, which is the fundamental sign that socialist democracy is different from all the old democratic forms in the past. Socialist democracy makes the proletariat and the broad masses of the people truly become the masters of the country. For the first time in human history, it turned the democracy of a few exploiters into the democracy of the working people, which accounts for the vast majority of the population, and truly became the democracy of the majority. All rights in socialist countries belong to the people, and the law stipulates and guarantees that citizens enjoy extensive, true, free and equal political rights.
(3) Without democracy, there would be no socialism, and there would be no socialist modernization.
There can be no socialism without democracy, because socialist democracy is the inherent requirement and essence of the socialist system, not the external condition of the socialist system. The socialist system is a democratic political system based on people's democracy. People should be masters of their own affairs in economic, political and cultural fields, which is the original meaning of the socialist system. People being masters of their own affairs is the main body and foundation of socialist survival and development. Safeguarding people's right to be masters of their own affairs is the basic content of China's socialist democratic political construction, and it is also the most basic starting point and foothold of promoting Socialism with Chinese characteristics's democratic politics. If we engage in socialism and do not build socialist democratic politics, the socialist system will be incomplete and distorted, and it will be impossible to truly maintain the nature of socialism and give full play to its advantages. Judging from the people who are the main subjects of socialist practice, they are engaged in socialist construction, not only pursuing rich material and cultural life, but also demanding full sharing of democratic rights recognized by the socialist constitution. With the development of material civilization and spiritual civilization, these legal rights are gradually expanded, requiring democratic political, economic, cultural and social life.
Without democracy, there will be no socialist modernization, because democratic politics is not only an important condition and guarantee of socialist modernization, but also an important content of socialist modernization system engineering. Socialist modernization is a great social system project, which can only be completed by the long-term hard struggle of all the people. Without the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of all the people, socialist modernization cannot be realized. Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "Mobilizing enthusiasm is the greatest democracy." Only by fully developing democracy can the enthusiasm and intelligence of the people be transformed into a powerful material force and the smooth realization of socialist modernization be guaranteed. More importantly, the construction of socialist democratic politics itself is also an important part of modernization, and it is not comprehensive to understand socialist modernization only as economic construction. A complete socialist construction should be centered on economic construction, including the all-round construction of socialist democracy and legal system and spiritual civilization. The construction of democratic politics is not an appendage of socialist modernization, but its own content is an important part. Only by strengthening all-round construction, including democratic political construction, can we promote the all-round development of socialist modernization.
China is still in the primary stage of socialism, and both socialist democracy and socialist modernization need to be built and developed in practice. Deng Xiaoping pointed out: "Democratization, like modernization, should be gradual. The more socialism develops. The more democracy develops. This is for sure. "
Second, build a socialist democratic politics with China characteristics.
(1) The people's democratic dictatorship is the dictatorship of the proletariat with China characteristics.
The people's democratic dictatorship is the state system of People's Republic of China (PRC), a socialist country led by the working class and based on the alliance of workers and peasants. The people's democratic dictatorship includes two aspects: first, the implementation of democracy among the people; One aspect is to exercise dictatorship over the enemies of the people. In the people's democratic dictatorship system, the people are the main body and the people are the masters of state power. The people's democratic dictatorship embodies the democracy of the Socialism with Chinese characteristics regime.
1, the people's democratic dictatorship is essentially the dictatorship of the proletariat.
This is mainly manifested in the following aspects: First, the people's democratic dictatorship in China, like the dictatorship of the proletariat, is also a state power led by the working class, based on the alliance of workers and peasants, and dominated by the broad masses of working people. Second, China's people's democratic dictatorship, like the dictatorship of the proletariat, is also the state power of the new democratic dictatorship. It practices democracy for the vast majority of people and dictatorship for a very small number of people. Third, the political power of the people's democratic dictatorship in our country shoulders the task of socialist transformation and solving the contradiction between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie in the transitional period; After the establishment of the socialist system, it is also responsible for defending the socialist system and leading and organizing socialist construction, which is the same as the historical task undertaken by the dictatorship of the proletariat.
2, the characteristics of the people's democratic dictatorship
The people's democratic dictatorship is a special form of proletarian dictatorship, which was gradually formed and developed according to the specific national conditions of China in the long-term struggle practice of China Revolution. It has distinctive China characteristics: (65,438+0) adapted to the development process of China Revolution, spanned and connected the two periods of new democracy and socialism, undertook different historical tasks, and gradually realized the transformation of its own nature. (2) Adapting to China's special national conditions and revolutionary history, it has always been a United front under the leadership of the working class (through the * * * production party), expanding the scope of democracy. (3) The people's congress system, a form of political organization suitable for the people's democratic dictatorship and China's specific national conditions, should be implemented. (4) The multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of China's * * * production party, which is suitable for China's national conditions, and the autonomous system of ordinary administrative regions and ethnic regions under the unitary system. (5) The people's democratic dictatorship not only embodies the essential content of the dictatorship of the proletariat, but also conforms to the national conditions of China.
(2) Adhere to and improve the system of people's congresses.
As China's political system and fundamental political system, the people's congress system is the product of combining the principle of people's sovereignty with China's reality in the revolutionary practice led by the China Producer Party, and it is a political organization form that suits China's national conditions and realizes the people being the masters of the country. The people's congress system is also the fundamental system of socialist democracy in China, the organizational form of state power in China, and embodies the national essence of people's democratic dictatorship. The people's congress system is an effective form for people to be masters of their own affairs and exercise their democratic rights under socialist conditions, which embodies the principle that all rights belong to the people.
1, the basic characteristics and main principles of the people's congress system
First, all state power belongs to the people, which is the political basis and fundamental principle of the people's congress system. Second, the people's congress system can ensure the unified exercise of state rights. Third, the main functions and powers of the NPC include legislative power, decision power, appointment and removal power and supervision power. Fourth, the people's congress system is the best way for the ruling party to carry forward democracy in state power. Fifth, the people's congress system in China is a people's democratic system under the leadership of the Party.
2. Strengthen and improve China's people's congress system.
The system of people's congresses is conducive to ensuring the Party's leadership over state affairs and the people's exercise of the right to manage the country. It is a fundamental political system with China characteristics that adapts to the people's democratic dictatorship and socialist modernization, and is the best organizational form and institutional guarantee for the people of China to be masters of their own affairs. In order to strengthen people's democracy and build socialist political civilization in contemporary China, we must constantly uphold and improve the people's congress system. First, improve the electoral system in China; The second is to optimize the composition of representatives and improve their quality; Third, scientifically handle the relationship between the leadership of the Party and the National People's Congress; Fourth, establish and improve relevant systems to improve the overall authority and effectiveness of the work of the NPC.
(three) adhere to and improve the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the * * * production party.
As the basic political system of our country, multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the * * * production party is a new political party system founded by the * * * production party of China according to the United front theory. This political party system is not only different from the "two-party system" and "multi-party system" in western countries in essence, but also different from other socialist countries in form. It is a socialist political party system with China characteristics. This kind of party system and party politics in our country is a concentrated expression of the people being the masters of the country, rather than the struggle for power and profit by several political groups of the bourgeoisie; It is governing, participating in politics and discussing state affairs on the basis of the fundamental interests of the people, rather than dividing the spoils between parties and politics determined by capital. Multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a new type of party system and party politics, which is a significant development and innovation of the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s party politics theory.
1 and * * * the characteristics of the multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of the production party
The system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation led by the * * * production party in China is a form of political system in which the * * * production party cooperates with other democratic parties. The ruling * * * production party and other democratic parties participating in politics cooperate and consult with each other, supervise each other and promote each other. (1) China * * * production party is the leading ruling party, and other political parties are participating parties. (2) The relationship between the * * * production party and the democratic parties in China is one of consultation, cooperation and mutual supervision. (3)CPPCC is an important organizational form of multi-party cooperation and political consultation system under the leadership of China Producers' Party.
2. Adhere to and improve the system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation.
The system of multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the China Party has made great contributions to the construction of socialist democracy in China. It plays an irreplaceable role in strengthening the leadership of the * * * production party, consolidating the people's democratic dictatorship, promoting the construction of socialist political civilization, and mobilizing all positive factors to serve the overall construction of a well-off society. Therefore, China should further adhere to and improve this system. First of all, we should further adhere to the basic policy of "long-term survival, mutual supervision, treating each other with all sincerity and sharing weal and woe". Secondly, fully mobilize the enthusiasm of democratic parties to participate in the discussion of state affairs and democratic supervision. Finally, strengthen democratic consultation between the * * * production party and the democratic parties.
Third, build a socialist country ruled by law.
Governing the country according to law is the basic strategy of the party leading the people to govern the country, and it is the basic way to improve the party's leadership and realize the people being the masters of the country. China's constitution and laws are the embodiment of the unity of the party's ideas and the people's will, and the party's leadership will ultimately be embodied in governing the country through the constitution and laws. In contemporary China, whether the leadership of the Party or the people are the masters of the country, they must be implemented within the scope of the legal system and act in strict accordance with the law. No organization or individual is allowed to have privileges beyond the Constitution and laws. Any power will and so-called democracy that violate the rule of law will do harm to social order and people's rights and freedoms, and then endanger socialist democratic politics. The degree of rule of law most directly reflects the institutionalization, standardization and procedural level of socialist democratic politics. Developing socialist democracy must be closely integrated with improving the socialist legal system. Democracy cannot be achieved alone, but must be guaranteed by the legal system.
Governing the country according to law is the objective need of developing socialist democratic politics and building socialist political civilization. The rule of law means that the broad masses of people enjoy real democracy and freedom; The rule of law can also confirm and guarantee the basic structure of democratic government, form and maintain the order of democratic politics, embody and guarantee the democratic political system, and promote political democratization. Therefore, the construction of socialist political civilization must adhere to the rule of law.
Implement the basic strategy of governing the country according to law and build a socialist country ruled by law. First, building a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics is the primary link and prerequisite for implementing the rule of law. Second, strengthening law enforcement and "abiding by the law" are the core and current focus of the rule of law. Third, maintaining judicial justice is the key to the construction of the rule of law. Fourth, continue to carry out comprehensive and in-depth education on law popularization, which is the foundation of the rule of law. Fifth, continue to improve and strengthen the supervision and restriction mechanism, which is the guarantee of the rule of law. Truly, there are laws to abide by, laws to be followed, law enforcement to be strict, violators to be prosecuted, and everyone is equal before the law.
The leadership of the party, the people being the masters of the country and the rule of law are a closely linked and unified whole. How to further integrate these three elements in practice and further improve the operation system and mechanism that embodies the organic unity of the three elements still needs our continuous efforts to explore. * * * The leadership of the production party is the basic feature that distinguishes the socialist political system from the western political system. Upholding the Party's leadership shows that China's political development does not follow the western multi-party system and parliamentary democracy. History has repeatedly shown that there is no way out by copying foreign models, and China's political development must go its own way. Under the leadership of the party, the participatory democratic political model of gradually expanding people's political participation and implementing democratic decision-making, democratic management and democratic supervision according to law has been developing continuously in practice. Participatory democracy not only ensures the unshakable leadership position of the party, but also provides concrete ways for the people to be masters of the country, organically combining the leadership of the party with the people being masters of the country on the legal track. Along this direction, it is full of hope to continue to actively and steadily explore the road of democratic politics in Socialism with Chinese characteristics.