Hou Jinliang: The "Three Slaps" Style Is Essentially a Distortion of the Concept of Political Achievement
Decision-making is the starting point of governance and the foundation for success. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out with deep insight: "The fundamental measure of whether a decision is scientific is whether it gains the approval and support of the masses, and whether it can withstand the tests of practice and history. We must resolutely prevent and correct the 'Three Pats' [1] phenomenon—making decisions by 'patting one's head,' making commitments by 'patting one's chest,' and evading responsibility by 'patting one's backside' and walking away." Currently, study and education on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance [2] are being solidly carried out throughout the Party. We must deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance, resolutely prevent and rectify the unhealthy wind of the "Three Pats," and build a solid foundation for entrepreneurship through scientific, democratic, and law-based decision-making, striving to produce political achievements for the people and through practical work.
The "Three Pats" phenomenon is, in essence, a concrete manifestation of a displaced outlook on performance. Making decisions by "patting one's head" places subjective will above objective reality, replacing investigation and demonstration with empiricism. Making commitments by "patting one's chest" uses hollow promises to cover up the shortcomings of inadequate capability; it is an external manifestation of craving greatness and seeking quick success and instant benefits. Evading responsibility by "patting one's backside" and walking away means leaving unfinished "tail-end" projects, fiscal burdens, and livelihood difficulties to one's successor; the crux of the problem is a lack of responsibility. The "Three Pats" often follow one another in succession, forming a vicious cycle of "capricious decision-making—reckless execution—failed accountability." This both wastes public resources and delays the development of the cause; we must remain constantly vigilant and resolutely break it.
The prosperity of a government lies in following the will of the people, while its failure lies in opposing it [3]. To guard against the "Three Pats" phenomenon, the primary task is to uphold the principle of "people first." Only when the steering wheel of decision-making is aligned with the coordinates of the "people's hearts" can it travel the broad road of political harmony and stability; once a decision deviates from the people's hearts, it is destined to exhaust the people and drain the treasury. The century-plus history of the Communist Party of China vividly demonstrates that upholding "people first" has never been a hollow slogan, but a concrete action running through the entire process of decision-making. We must ask the people about their needs, taking the "voice of the masses" as the primary signal; benefit the people with substance, taking "mass benefit" as the fundamental goal; and leave the judgment to the people, taking "mass satisfaction" as the highest standard. This ensures power operates in the light of day and truly realizes the original aspiration [4] of making decisions for the sake of the people.
There are constants in governing a state, but benefiting the people is the fundamental [5]; there are principles in political education, but ensuring orders are carried out is paramount. To guard against the "Three Pats" phenomenon, the value lies in following objective laws. Laws are the internal logic of the development of things; only when governance decisions align with these laws can they achieve steady and sustained progress. The key to following objective laws lies in in-depth research and scientific decision-making. We must persist in putting investigation and research first to "get to the bottom" of facts and prevent "patting one's chest" commitments. We must persist in professional support to find the right "path," ensuring decisions conform to the laws of economic and social development as well as natural laws. We must persist in dynamic correction, adjusting decisions that no longer suit development in a timely manner to prevent "erring to the very end." Only in this way can decisions be made feasible, implemented effectively, and achieve long-term results.
The law is the beginning of governance [6]. To guard against the "Three Pats" phenomenon, the key lies in strengthening institutional constraints. The Interim Regulations on Procedures for Major Administrative Decision-Making, which came into effect in September 2019, established public participation, expert demonstration, risk assessment, legality review, and collective discussion and decision-making as rigid thresholds. It also established and improved a system of lifelong accountability for major decisions, ensuring that the exercise of power is constrained and decision-making errors come at a price. From the blind decision-making and mechanical execution in urban management in Sanhe City, Langfang, Hebei Province, to the forced promotion of the Yao-Han Longevity City cultural tourism project in Gongcheng Yao Autonomous County, Guilin, Guangxi—regardless of local conditions—these lessons serve as a profound warning: decisions cannot be "settled" based on personal preferences but must be managed by the "institutional cage." The core of strengthening institutional constraints lies in building a solid line of defense. We must improve legality review and risk assessment procedures, actively leverage the role of legal advisors and think-tank experts as gatekeepers, strictly implement the lifelong accountability system, and improve mechanisms for decision-making archives and retroactive investigation to seriously hold accountable those who cause major losses through blind "decision-settling." Only by integrating systems throughout the entire decision-making process can we eradicate the practical soil in which the "Three Pats" phenomenon breeds at its source.
Those who begin with vigor must plan for the end; those who succeed plan at the beginning. Decision-making concerns the well-being of the people, connects the heart of the Party with the hearts of the people, and relates to the overall situation of development. Establishing and practicing a correct outlook on performance requires every Party member and official to keep in mind their original aspiration to make decisions for the people and resolutely oppose the "Three Pats" phenomenon. Only in this way can every decision gain the support of the masses, withstand the test of practice, and live up to the heavy trust of history, promoting the steady and sustained progress of the cause of the Party and the state through scientific and pragmatic governance.
Source: People's Daily (March 25, 2026) Editor: Huihui