The grass roots movement instituted by the communists after the revolution was really amazing in its thoroughness and effect on the common people. Allowing citizens to air their grievances against the traditional landowners and then confiscating and redistributing the land won the hearts and minds of the people. The constant internal purges of the bureaucracy kept local leaders from cementing their power . An unfortunate side effect caused by the fluidity of the power structure was the withholding of accurate progress reports on the sweeping agricultural reforms. This resulted in Mao’s great leap forward becoming a huge leap in the opposite direction.
