Abstract: From the analysis of the survey data of the “first secretary” poverty alleviation system at J County in Henan province, it can be seen that there is a interactive relationship between the “first secretary” and such multiple subjects as the superior government, the supporting unit, the township leaders, and the village leaders; the current residency system is involved with complicated social and structural factors. The findings of the study indicate that on the one hand the first secretary’s work is restricted by the conditions that his responsibilities do not match the target set by the superior government and the resources of his supporting unit are limited; on the other hand his work is challenged by a “conspiracy” between the township leaders and the village leaders and the close-up of the township-village relations. Such dual exclusive structural changes not only affect the first secretary’s poverty alleviation work itself, but also results in the changes of the support system, thus the control ability of the state on the rural grassroots society is weakened. Therefore, relevant measures should be taken to strengthen the power of the leaders stay at the villages, increase the resource support, and break the “conspiracy” and “monopoly” between the township leaders and the village leaders.

Key words: precise poverty alleviation; first secretary; structural exclusion; residency system