人民政协的性质和职责

中国人民政治协商会议（简称“人民政协”），是中国人民爱国统一战线的组织，是中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商的重要机构。人民政协由中国共产党、各民主党派、无党派民主人士、人民团体、各民族和各界的代表，台湾同胞、港澳同胞和归国侨胞的代表以及特别邀请的人士组成。
    The CPPCC is a patriotic united front organization of the Chinese people, serving as a key mechanism for multi-party cooperation and political consultation under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and a major manifestation of socialist democracy. At present, the CPPCC consists of representatives of the CPC and non-Communist parties, personages without party affiliation, and representatives of people's organizations, ethnic minorities and various social strata. It also has the representation of compatriots of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan, returned overseas Chinese, and specially invited people.

人民政协的主要职能是政治协商和民主监督，组织参加政协的各党派、团体和各族各界人士参政议政。政治协商是对国家和地方的大政方针以及政治、经济、文化和社会生活中的重要问题在决策之前进行协商和就决策执行过程中的重要问题进行协商。
    The main functions of the CPPCC are to conduct political consultation, exercise democratic supervision and participate in the discussion and the handling of state affairs. Political consultation covers major principles and policies proposed by the central and local governments and matters of importance concerning political, economic, cultural and social affairs.

民主监督是对国家宪法、法律和法规的实施，重大方针政策的贯彻执行，国家机关及其工作人员的工作，通过建议和批评进行监督。参政议政是政治协商、民主监督的拓展和延伸，是组织参加政协的各党派、各团体和各族各界人士以多种形式参与国家政治生活的概括性表述。
    Democratic supervision means to exercise, by means of offering suggestion and criticism, supervision over the implementation of the Constitution, other laws, regulations and major policies, and over the work of government agencies and their functionaries. Participation in discussing and handling state affairs means to organize CPPCC members of various parties, people's organizations, people of various ethnic minorities and other social groups to take part in the country's political, economic, cultural and social activities in whatever way they think fit.

（来源：中国网，编辑 Helen）