Abstract: The load operation has hampered the efficiency of primary-level governance. The burden comes not only from the heavy task itself, but also from the unbalanced relationship between the blocks. As a unique inter-governmental relationship model born in China’s political practice, the strip-block relationship has brought a certain negative externality while playing its unique political function, and has become one of the structural factors affecting the improvement of primary-level governance efficiency. In primary-level governance, some higher authorities transmit tasks and pressures through vertical contract awarding, assessment and supervision. In order to find a balance between accountability risk and promotion incentive, some officials have adopted a formalistic response, which at length results in mechanical policy executors and adds burden. To promote the burden reduction, we should start not only start from reducing unnecessary workload, but also from empowering and improving efficiency, i.e. we should give more governance resources and action space to primary-level governments by clarifying the responsibilities of departments, clarifying the relationship between powers and responsibilities, and improving the assessment mechanism.

Key words: primary-level governance, strip-block relationship, ease the burden on the primary-level governments , relationship between power and responsibility