Local Agency with State-guided Development: An Empirical Analysis of the “Beautiful Villages” Policy in Northern China

This article explores how local community agencies are shaped by state-driven development programs and relevant institutional contexts. Focusing on the Construction of Beautiful Villages policy in northern China, this research draws on six months of qualitative fieldwork. The article uses a framework based on state simplification and techno-politics and argues that the simplification of development programs is not only a function of the state but is also actively pursued by local governments aiming to execute tasks with minimal contestation. The agency of local communities is further constrained under the mutual impact of simplifying and depoliticising mechanisms. Village cadres are relegated to coordinators among county-township officials, third-party companies, and villagers, while their role as political agents diminishes due to the loss of financial autonomy and authority. Recent reforms reducing the power of village chiefs have limited political negotiation opportunities, making it difficult for villagers to access policy information and governance processes. The villagers’ complex feelings towards the state are marked by gratitude to the national government and dissatisfaction with local governance. Although awareness of the problems of grassroots governance grows, villagers become increasingly constrained in effecting change. Limited participation channels and a shrinking public sphere due to outmigration and individualisation contribute to their depoliticised conditions. This research enhances the understanding of local agency and illustrates how the interrelated processes of depoliticisation and simplification mutually shape policy outcomes.