AMERICAN STUDIES QUARTERLY Fall 2004，Vol. 18, No. 3 ARTICLES Critical Elections and Changes in American Election Politics Zhang Yeliang (7) Following an analysis of critical elections and the role they play in American election politics, this article further comments on related theories and reviews. It elaborates changes in American election politics since the end of the 1960s and points out their significance in American political process and the 2004 elections. The author believes that the disintegration of New Deal party system has brought about evident and continuous changes in the social and demographic structure of electorate bases and party identification. The 2004 elections will continue to be a match between the two political parties of generally equal strength. The outstanding feature of the current election is that foreign policy and security issues have become the main focus. The trend of American election politics shows that it will be difficult for any single party to take control of both the White House and the Congress for long. An Analysis of the Proliferation Security Initiative Gu Guoliang(30) The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is one of the major steps taken by the Bush Administration in pursuing its strategy of counterproliferation. This article analyzes the origin, goal and principles of the PSI, and makes an assessment of the problems it faces as well as the prospect of its future development. The author believes it will be difficult for the PSI to fully achieve its goal, owing to its offensive and coercive nature and the lack of credible legal basis. Chinas decision not to become a member of the PSI under current circumstances is in accordance with the general principles of Chinas foreign policy and is also in Chinas security interest. Americas Political Corruption and Anticorruption Zhou Qi(45) There was a period of ethical degeneration in public service in America during the nineteenth century similar to what other countries have experienced at various times. This trend of degeneration was halted by reform in civil service and municipal reform in the progressive movement, which led to certain structural changes in administrative departments and changes in the way the government managed public affairs. The establishment of ethical standards in the federal government has been a major part of efforts to reduce corruption since the end of the Second World War. In addition, agencies have been created to monitor the implementation of ethical standards, aiming more at prevention than punishment. The Ethics in Government Act, passed in 1962, codifies standards of government ethics for the executive branch. In 1989, the Act was expanded in its applicability to the legislative and judicial branches. Throughout the American ethics reform movement, one of the most important themes has been the prevention of conflicts of interest. American Financial Policy Practice as Traditional Tool for the Management of Demand and Supply Chang Zhongze(69) American financial policy as traditional tool for the management of demand and supply mainly includes pumppriming policy, compensative policy and growth policy. The goals set for these three policies are antirecession, antieconomic cycle and accelerating economic growth respectively. In practice, they meet, to a certain extent, the need of economic situation and development of economic theory. The three policies, if used skillfully, can achieve good results in their respective functional area. The three policies are all aimed at achieving economic stability and economic growth through the means of deficit. But the emphasis of the goals and the measures adopted are not the same. Whatever policy to be used, the most important thing is to make comparatively accurate judgment of the economic situation and to have appropriate control of the intensity and timing of the implementation of the policy chosen. The lesson to be drawn is the goal set for the financial policy should be rational and appropriate, and equal attention should be paid to shortterm stability goal and mediumand longterm growth goal. Middle East Studies in the U.S.: Paradigms,Debates and Impact Yang Xiaming(84) The functions of Middle East studies in the United States have changed from serving the government to disengagement from government and then to criticism of government policies. The paradigms used in the studies have also changed from modernization theory to postcolonialism theory to civil society theory. “The third dimension” in American foreignpolicy culture took advantage of the Sept.11 attacks to criticize MESA, resulting in a controversy. This article summarizes the debate and argues that the truth is the neocons want to influence US Middle East policy by starting the debate, and that it is, to some extant, the continuation of ArabIsrael conflict in the academia. The debate also reflects some common problems within the academia. This article concludes that the impact of the debate on US policy to Iraq is quite evident. Analysis of American Nativist Movement Dong Xiaochuan(99) American nativist movement is a movement with exclusionism as its theoretical basis. It is biased mainly against Catholic, Semitist, Asian, and Hispanic immigrants. The mainstay of the movement is some organizations in the nature of fraternity society, and its goal is to safeguard American white mainstream culture. This movement continued on and off for a number of years and has not yet completely disappeared. As an important event in American social and political movement, it started at the grassroot level and gradually moved to the upper echelon and has exerted certain influence on the formulation of government policy. The nativist movement is closely linked with the issue of immigration and the existence and development of multiculture in American society and is inseparable from American white racism, nationalism and mainstream religion. REVIEWS To View China “From A Height of 10,000 Meters”—Inspiration in Reading The Promise of the Revolution: Stories of Fulfillment and Struggle in China's Hinterland by Daniel B. Wright Yu Jianjun(126) Kissinger's Dilemma and the Future of American Diplomacy Li Haidong(134) A Review of History, An Encountering of Reality —Comment on From the Thaw to the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Jiang Changbin(141) Wang Xi and “Series Studies in SinoAmerican Relations” Qin Ling(150) ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the American History Section at Nankai University Zhang Juguo(154) New Books(156) Editors Note(160)