ABSTRACT
Undoubtedly, the construction of cooperative-harmonious democracy would be an enormous and progressive project of the entire society. It involves many aspects of the political structure and public governance, and cannot succeed overnight. We need to draw on the lessons of democratic transition and institutional change at home and abroad, and move forward in a proactive, stable, and systematic way while trying to implement the fundamental principles of cooperative-harmonious democracy and making full use of all favorable factors from every quarter. We are convinced that the building of a cooperative-harmonious democracy model that transcends both the existing model of democracy and the worship of Western liberal democracy will shape China’s future. Though the building of a model of democracy is not a skill of free innovation and design, neither is it like a sapling that, once planted, will keep growing while we slumber. Each stage of it is imprinted with the effects of human reason and requires voluntary effort as well as
top-level design and strategic planning. The building of a cooperative-harmonious democracy model in China would be impossible without the power of reason and the guidance of top-level strategy. To combine tradition and reality, bring human reason and imagination into full play, conduct a prospective search for a Chinese model of democratic development, and come up with new vision – all these call for a profound revolution in thought and ideological liberation, which in turn requires politicians and scholars to think and work together. We hope that this book could offer a new way to analyze and think about the development of democracy, social cooperation, and harmonious governance in China.
