本书评围绕杨华的《县乡中国：县域治理现代化》，概述了其在条块关系、政策执行、基层自主空间和干部激励机制方面的核心贡献。书中基于长期田野调查，揭示了“县官不如现管”这一治理命题的制度逻辑，展现出县域治理现代化在国家统一性与基层灵活性之间的张力。评述指出，县级政府通过“政治任务”实现资源统筹，导致形式主义风险，但同时基层也通过机制创新展现出韧性。该书为理解当代中国县域治理的复杂性提供了宝贵的实证视角，对乡村振兴和国家治理现代化研究具有重要启示意义。

This review centers on Yang Hua’s County and Township China: Modernization of County-Level Governance, summarizing its key contributions in the areas of central-local relations, policy execution, grassroots autonomy, and cadre incentive mechanisms. Grounded in long-term fieldwork, the book reveals the institutional logic behind the governance dilemma encapsulated in the saying “county magistrates are no match for local operators.” It illustrates the tensions between national governance uniformity and grassroots flexibility under the modernization framework. The review notes how county governments consolidate resources by framing key issues as “political tasks,” which fosters risks of formalism, while also acknowledging how local governments demonstrate resilience through institutional innovations. The book offers a valuable empirical lens for understanding the complexities of contemporary county-level governance in China, with significant implications for rural revitalization and the modernization of national governance.