中国和美国的社会制度、文化传统和历史进程都大不相同。但两国的档案界又都面临着档案文件的形成、整理、鉴定、著录、保管、检索和利用等问题。因此中美两国的档案工作之间既有区别,也有类似之处.一、所有制美国是一个资本主义国家,档案也具有财产的性质,归其法定的所有者所有。联邦政府的档案归联邦政府所有,州政府的档案归州政府所有,大学、教会、企业和私人所形成的档案也分别归属于相应的所有者。由于档案所有权的私有性质,档案的不同所有者都有权独自管理自己的档案,互不统属,互不干预。这样,就全社会而言,美国的档案及其管理实际上处于分散的状况,这就使美国档案工作的发展受到一定程度的限度。 China and the United States have very different social systems, cultural traditions and historical processes. However, the archival communities in both countries are facing the problems of the formation, sorting, appraisal, description, custody, search and utilization of archives. Therefore, there are both differences and similarities between the archival work of China and the United States.) 1. Ownership The United States is a capitalist country. Archives also have the nature of property and are owned by their legal owners. The archives of the federal government are owned by the federal government. The archives of the state governments are owned by the state government and the archives of universities, churches, enterprises and private individuals are also attributed respectively to the respective owners. Owing to the private nature of the ownership of the file, different owners of the file have the right to manage their own files independently of one another without mutual interference. In this way, as far as the whole society is concerned, the files and the management of the United States are actually in a fragmented situation, which limits the development of the U.S. file work to a certain extent.