Abstract: Inquiry system is the characteristic political design for Chinese citizens′ interest expression，democratic supervision and right relief.But in recent years，with rapid economic development and transition of social system，inquiry system considered as the social shock absorber continuously endures the internal functional crisis.Faced with these terrible effects on people′s ideas about central government，local government and so on，academic circles present three opinions called “reinforcement theory”，“weakening theory” and “abolishment theory”，which have provided beneficial thoughts for the inquiry system′s reform.However，it′s unilateral to investigate the reservation or abolition of inquiry system merely in a macroscopic view.It is important to carry out standardization reform on the basis of recognition of legitimacy and necessity of the inquiry system.The stress of the reform should be laid on supervision of the inquiry system so as to prevent power alienation under the pressure of responsibility.

Key words: letters and visits, inquiry system, public opinion, right relief, nomocracy