The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
An immigration slowdown led to widespread declines in population growth in America’s major metro areas
English Summary
The Brookings analysis finds that widespread declines in international immigration are causing significant demographic slowdowns and population losses across nearly all of America’s major metro areas. Evidence shows that since major metro areas rely heavily on net international migration for growth, recent sharp drops in immigrant numbers—affecting all 56 major metros—are the primary driver behind reduced population gains or outright declines. If current immigration trends persist, these urban cores must prepare for severe demographic slowdowns, which will inevitably lead to further workforce contraction and economic stagnation. Policymakers must therefore address immigration policy to stabilize the population base and maintain the economic vitality of the nation's largest urban centers.
中文摘要
布魯金斯（Brookings）的分析指出，國際移民的普遍下降正在導致美國幾乎所有主要都會區面臨顯著的人口結構放緩和人口流失。證據顯示，由於主要都會區高度依賴淨國際移民來實現增長，近期移民人數的急劇下降——影響了全部56個主要都會區——是造成人口增長放緩甚至實質下降的主要驅動因素。如果目前的移民趨勢持續下去，這些城市核心區必須為嚴重的人口結構放緩做好準備，這不可避免地將導致勞動力萎縮和經濟停滯。因此，政策制定者必須處理移民政策，以穩定人口基礎，並維持國家最大城市群的經濟活力。
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