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.
The Fed’s Defenses of Interest on Reserves Are Flawed
English Summary
CATO argues that the Federal Reserve's Interest on Reserves (IOR) framework is a flawed and 'dangerous' tool that distorts private lending and reduces Treasury remittances. The article refutes Fed claims that IOR is cost-neutral and necessary for interest rate control, highlighting significant recent operating losses and the destruction of the interbank lending market. To address these issues, the author recommends a gradual 10-to-15-year reduction of the Fed's balance sheet to restore a traditional corridor system. The findings suggest that Congress should implement serious monetary reforms rather than treating the Fed as an infallible institution.
中文摘要
卡托研究所（CATO）指出，聯準會（Fed）的準備金利息（IOR）框架是一項存在缺陷且「危險」的工具，扭曲了私人借貸並減少了上繳財政部的收益。文章反駁了聯準會聲稱 IOR 具備成本中性且為利率控制所必需的觀點，並強調了近期嚴重的營運虧損以及銀行同業拆借市場的破壞。為解決這些問題，作者建議在 10 至 15 年間逐步縮減聯準會的資產負債表，以恢復傳統的利率走廊制度。研究結果顯示，國會應推動嚴肅的貨幣改革，而非將聯準會視為無懈可擊的機構。
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