摘要
Seymour Martin Lipset believed very early on that economic development could boost democracy. However, grassroots democracy as embodied in villagers＇ committee elections is poles apart from democracy at the national level. The relationship between economic development and villagers＇ committee elections can be correctly understood only when it is observed against the unique political and social background of China. The villagers＇ committee was born spontaneously at the time of the disintegration of the people＇ s commune system and the upsurge of peasant autonomy with the widespread introduction of the system of production responsibility. Villagers have to pay a price for taking part in villagers＇ committee elections, including the input of time and energy. Whether a villagers＇ committee election is competitive depends on the correlation between the election and the interests of villagers and candidates. What then can enhance this correlation？
