过去,美国地方政府的职能似乎仅限于教育、治安、消防等方面。但在进入70年代以后,随着油价高涨、美元贬值和进口的激增,美国经济开始持续衰退,从而使地方政府的职能起了相应变化。作为最接近民众的行政单位,地方政府直接感受到了经济衰退的压力,它们尤其担心大量失业人口可能衍生的社会治安问题,因而不得不将促进地方经济繁荣列为 In the past, the functions of the U.S. local government seemed limited to education, law and order, fire and more. However, after the 1970s, with the soaring oil prices, the devaluation of the U.S. dollar and the surge in imports, the U.S. economy started to decline steadily, thus correspondingly changing the functions of local governments. As the administrative unit closest to the people, local governments directly feel the pressure of the economic downturn. They are particularly worried about the social security problems that may be derived from the large number of unemployed people and thus have to list the promotion of local economic prosperity as