（全文见PDF版） 美 国 研 究 季 刊 1989年第3期 AMERICAN STUDIES 第3卷 9月25日出版 美国民主政体的起源 张 毅(7) 　　——从美国何以会有国会谈起 一种富有生机的市政体制 王 旭(22) 　　——美国城市经理制纵向剖析 中央情报局与美国外交政策 杨勇毅(38) 美国农业劳动力转移 李胜军(58) 美国产品责任法介绍 吴正与(76) 北美新大陆的移民社会与宗教自由 李世雅(92) 杰斐逊的农业理想国 刘祚昌(120) 美国通俗文化研究 〔美〕托马斯·英奇(141) 本期责任编辑: 金灿荣 编辑出版 中华美国学 中国社会科学院美国研究所 照排 中国社会科学院美国研究所 印刷装钉 北京新华印刷厂 发行、订阅处 中国社会科学院美国研究所 北京建国门内大街5号 刊号 ISSN1002-8986/CN11-1170／C@ 国外代号 Q1122 国外发行 中国国际图书贸易总公司 北京399信箱 定价: 国内版1.75元 国际版2.50美元（邮费在外） AMERICAN STUDIES Fall 1989 Vol. 3, No. 3 CONTENTS WHY CONGRESS? Zhang Yi (7) One question sometimes ignored by scholars of U.S. Congress is why Congress was created in the first place. In essence, why Congress asks the same question as why democracy. European democratic thoughts, British constitutional influence and the unique natural and social environment on the new continent, such as the abundance of land, equality and lack of feudal hierarchy, were the main reasons why Congress was created the way it was 200 years ago. CITY MANAGERS: A DYNAMIC FORM OF MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION Wang Xu (22) About half of U.S. cities have adopted the city manager system as the form of the municipal government. A decline in political party influence, separation of the executive and legislative functions, and scientific management style are the attractions of the system. Although not flawless, the system has enjoyed popularity ever since its creation around the turn of the century. THE CIA AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY Yang Yongyi (38) The Central Intelligence Agency is by no means just an ordinary information-gathering agency. It was created out of foreign policy needs, and since then it has served as a necessary tool for U.S. foreign policy and as a "spy agency" for America's "covert actions". In addition to implementing policies, it also exerts important influence, whether direct or indirect, apparent or potential, on the making of U.S. foreign policy. THE SHIFT OF AGRICULTURAL LABOR IN THE UNITED STATES Li Shengjun (58) A general outline of the shift of labor away from the agricultural sector in the United States. Industrialization has been responsible for this shift. It also determines which sector and which geographical area the labor is moving into. Problems associated with the shift include a higher rate of unemployment on the part of the former agricultural workers due to their relative lower education level and lack of non-agricultural skills. PRODUCT LIABILITY LAW IN THE UNITED STATES Wu Zhengyu (76) An account of the development of the product liability law in the United States. The development has been rapid and difficult to predict, with the states judges playing a major role. There are more and more suits and the damage awards are getting higher and higher. Some efforts have been made, especially at the federal level, to curb this trend. So far they have not proved to be successful. IMMIGRANT SOCIETY ON THE NEW CONTINENT AND FREEDOM OF RELIGION Li Shiya (92) A study of the process from theocracy to religious freedom in the New World. Causes for this transition can be found in the mass migration from Europe to North America, the lack of feudalism in the colonies, the republican spirit and the War of Independence. From a broader perspective of world history, the transition is a result of communication and interaction among different cultures. JEFFERSON'S AGRICULTURAL UTOPIA Liu Zuochang (120) Jefferson's writings were full of descriptions about an agricultural utopia. His obsession with this utopia shows that he was a great humanistic thinker. He valued human beings more than property, human fraternity more than competition, and spiritual life more than material life. This humanistic thought, according to the author of this essay, is remarkably similar to Confucianism in many aspects. RESEARCH ON AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE M. Thomas Inge (141) At the invitation of Peking University and the Institute of American Studies, Professor M. Thomas Inge of Randolph-Macon College gave a lecture in China last year regarding the research on popular culture in the United States. The lecture focused on the significance of the research, the definition of popular culture, and its differences with the elitest culture. With his permission, the transcript is translated (by Gong Wenxiang) and published here. AMERICAN STUDIES, a quarterly, is published jointly by the Chinese Association for American Studies, and the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The content of the articles in this journal should not be construed as reflecting the views either of the Association or the Institute.