Abstract: The growth of grassroots democracy in rural areas isan important part of the political development in contemporary China,which has significant influence on China’s democratic development.Adapting to the maintenance of rural reform of land use rights and related rights of farmers,the current rural grassroots democracy protects the normal order of family farms.The development of market economy in rural areas and appearance agricultural companies have constantly compressed the production and development space of family farm,and they have gradually become the dominant organizational forms of agricultural production.All the changes will upgrade rural grassroots democracy to the township level,and villagers’ autonomy will turn into township autonomy as well.By that time,the connotation of democracy will also have been changed,with grassroots democracy in rural areas no longer a mass democracy,but an elite one in essence.

Key words: grassroots democracy in rural areas;market economy;villagers&rsquo, autonomy;township autonomy