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.
States of Affordability: A series on where and why US households struggle to make ends meet
English Summary
The Brookings report identifies a deep, structural affordability crisis, noting that nearly half of U.S. households struggle to cover basic necessities, a trend that is persistent and varies significantly by state, county, and race. The core finding is that the problem is not uniform, requiring tailored solutions that address localized disparities and racial inequities. The report attributes this strain to structural imbalances, specifically the failure of productivity gains to translate into broad wage growth, while costs for housing, healthcare, and childcare continue to rise rapidly. Policy recommendations emphasize that mitigating the crisis requires a two-pronged approach: implementing structural reforms to lower essential costs and enacting policies that boost wages and create good, accessible jobs.
中文摘要
布魯金斯智庫的報告指出，美國面臨著一場深層的結構性可負擔性危機。報告提到，近半數的美國家庭難以支付基本生活必需品，這是一個持續存在且在州、縣和種族之間差異顯著的趨勢。核心發現是，此問題並非普遍一致，需要採取針對局部差異和種族不平等的量身定制的解決方案。報告將這種經濟壓力歸因於結構性失衡，特別是生產力增長未能轉化為廣泛的工資增長，而住房、醫療和育兒等必需成本持續快速上漲。政策建議強調，緩解此危機需要採取雙管齊下的方法：一方面實施結構性改革以降低基本生活成本；另一方面制定政策來提升工資水平並創造良好、可及的工作機會。
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