Abstract: Affective governance is a response to innovative grassroots governance strategies, with grassroots cadres serving as crucial agents in enhancing the quality and efficiency of grassroots governance. Drawing on ethnographic research on the old tree retention incident in Y village, this study integrates its analysis into a logical framework that examines the behaviors of grassroots cadres through the lens of affective governance, situating it within a realistic context. At the level of evidence-based practice, the concept of affective governance is elucidated through the admission, promotion, and application of emotional discourses, rituals, and support—elements that collectively shape a rationalized schema of affective governance. Extending into the realms of emotional habitus, grassroots cadres navigate the tension between “facts” and “feelings”, placing greater emphasis on personal connections, relationships, and appropriateness. By skillfully balancing between personal connections, relationships and appropriateness, affective governance can effectively promote the regeneration of positive emotions and build a harmonious grassroots society.

Key words: grassroots cadres, emotional governance, putting emotion in situation, ethnographic observation