鸦片战争之前，中国人对于美国整体制度的了解较少。随着来华传教士的不断介绍，特别是鸦片战争之后“开眼看世界”的士大夫对于外国史地情况的关注，中国人开始形成自己对美国制度的理解传统。从魏源、林则徐再到梁廷枏和徐继畬，秉承儒家思想的士大夫以中国传统观念和概念体系来理解美国制度，尤其关注美国的总统制、联邦制和分权结构，并将其与中国传统中的“三代”之治联系。此外，美国反抗英国的历史也对这些为鸦片战争战败所触动的士大夫产生了较强的吸引力。这些因素共同促成了当时中国人对于“米利坚”不无美化的制度想象。这一过程既为理解近代中国对西方制度认知的演变提供了宝贵史料与视角，也为当代比较宪法学和区域国别学研究提供了教训和启示，提示研究者在传承传统的同时，应始终保持对文明主体性和知识自主性的清醒与追求。

美国, 政治制度, 总统制, 晚清思想史　

Before the Opium War, Chinese knowledge of the American constitutional and political system was scant. With the continuous introduction of missionaries to China, especially the attention of scholar-officials who “opened their eyes to the world” after the Opium War to the historical and geographical situation of foreign nations and developing a nuanced understanding of the American system. Moreover, America’s history of resistance against British rule resonated strongly with these scholar-officials, especially in the wake of China’s defeat in the Opium War. This process is pivotal not only for its historical insights into the evolution of China’s perceptions of Western systems but also for providing rich lessons for contemporary studies in comparative constitutional law and area studies. Their endeavors encourage ongoing research to balance cultural heritage with the pursuit of cultural subjectivity and intellectual independence.

American, political system, presidential system, Late Qing intellectual history