Driving Rural Governance Modernization through New Quality Productive Forces: A Theoretical Framework and Empirical Evidence from China

Abstract

In the grand historical process of comprehensively promoting Chinese modernization, the modernization of rural governance serves not only as a crucial cornerstone of the national governance system and governance capacity modernization but also as a key support for realizing the rural revitalization strategy. Currently, with the deepening development of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, New Quality Productive Forces (NQPF)—characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality—are profoundly reshaping traditional modes of production and social structures. This paper aims to construct a theoretical analysis framework based on the three-dimensional synergy of technology-industry-institution to deeply analyze the internal mechanism by which NQPF drives the modernization of rural governance. The paper first reviews the evolution of productivity theory, pointing out that NQPF overcomes the dilemmas of information asymmetry, resource fragmentation, and subject atomization in traditional rural governance through the three dimensions of technological penetration, industrial upgrading, and institutional reshaping. Subsequently, based on panel data from 38 districts and counties in Chongqing, China (2021-2023) and in-depth field research cases, this paper empirically tests the governance effectiveness of NQPF using fixed effects models, mediation effect models, and heterogeneity analysis methods. The study finds that: first, NQPF significantly improves rural governance efficiency, and this conclusion remains valid after various robustness tests; second, the degree of information openness and the degree of multi-subject synergy are key mediating mechanisms; third, there is significant heterogeneity between the main urban metropolitan area and the mountainous areas of northeast/southeast Chongqing, where differences in industrial foundation and digital infrastructure determine the boundaries of the enabling effect. This study not only enriches the micro-application of Marxist productivity theory in the digital age but also provides empirical evidence and policy implications for various regions to utilize NQPF to solve governance problems according to local conditions.