Liu Kejun displays one section of a segmented stamp, one of five sections that, when joined together, symbolize an expression of democracy in a small village in west China.

Liu is one of five residents of the village of Luogudong in Chongqing municipality who were chosen by the villagers to hold the five sections of the village's official stamp. Any new plan for the village must meet their consent before they can join their sections together and give an official stamp of approval.

This simplified form of representative democracy is a symbol of the "grassroots democracy" that is picking up steam across China as the nation plays up social stability against the backdrop of a cooling economy.

China's GDP growth rate dropped to 9.2 percent year-on-year in 2011, down from 10.3 percent the year before, posing greater economic and social challenges for China in the year ahead.

However, the country also faces problems left by decades of hot-red growth. In rural areas, illegal land grabs and environmental pollution often cause conflicts between villagers and local governments.

During a visit to south China's Guangdong province, Premier Wen Jiabao stressed the importance of rural self-governance and urged local authorities to ensure rural residents' voting rights.

His call came after massive protests last year by residents of the village of Wukan, who confronted the local government over issues related to illegal land grabs, financing and the violation of local election regulations. The protest simmered for months, highlighting the social vulnerability of China's economic heartland.

ECONOMIC ILLS, SOCIAL CURES

Realizing that a surging GDP is not a cure for grievances and turbulence, China has made more efforts to improve livelihoods and protect people's rights in recent years.

The trend was particularly conspicuous in 2011, when China reported slower economic expansion but more generous investment in education, housing and social welfare. About 360 million urban and rural residents were covered under government-subsidized social security programs as of the end of 2011.

China also kicked off construction on 10 million low-income housing units last year.

Even more eminent are the greater social commitments shown by traditionally GDP-obsessed local governments. In poorer western provinces like Sichuan and Shaanxi, over 80 percent of increased revenues were injected into social and welfare projects in 2011.

DEMOCRACY ON THE RISE

As social development speeds up, various forms of grassroots democracy are flourishing in China's cities and countryside.

Zhang Yongchun, the new Communist Party of China (CPC) secretary of Chongqing municipality's Taojia township, will tell you that just a few years ago, local Party officials did most of their work behind closed doors.

But in order to obtain his current post, Zhang had to participate in a public nomination and direct election process last year.

"I beat three candidates over two rounds of campaigning, during which time we gave speeches on our political views and competed for votes," said Zhang.

Zhang said he has busied himself with social projects since his victory in order to deliver on the promises he made during his campaign.

City officials are also paying more attention to public opinion, as observed by Xu Jimin, a professor of law at Sichuan University.

Xu has participated in the drafting of several regulations and pieces of legislation in Chongqing and neighboring Sichuan province. He said he has noticed a rise in the number of public hearings on law drafts in recent years.

"They (officials) also ask for our professional advice more frequently. It's no longer rare for a draft to be killed by our opposition," said Xu.

Analysts said fast development in China's social and political sectors are closely linked, and the two will continue to provide momentum for each other.

"Better living standards raise democratic awareness, which in turn will safeguard people's well-being," said Hu Angang, a professor and policy researcher at Tsinghua University.

"The democratic trend is entering all walks of life thanks to improved living conditions. Its rise is unstoppable," said Lu Xueyi, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.