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.
Kill the Handout to Fix Trump Accounts
English Summary
The author argues that the proposed 'Trump Account' structure is fundamentally flawed because the $1,000 government subsidy creates excessive complexity and tax penalties. This handout shifts market risk onto taxpayers and increases fiscal pressure on Congress, failing to provide a free lunch or reliably foster capitalist conviction. To fix the account, policymakers should eliminate the subsidy entirely, which would simplify rules by removing mandatory lock-up periods and associated penalties. Instead of using subsidies for redistribution, Congress should focus on tax simplification and allowing parents to deduct contributions to create a more flexible Universal Savings Account.
中文摘要
作者主張，所提議的「川普帳戶」結構本質上存在缺陷，因為1,000美元的政府補貼造成了過度的複雜性和稅收罰款。這項補助將市場風險轉嫁給納稅人，並增加了國會的財政壓力，未能提供真正的免費福利或可靠地培養資本主義信心。要修復該帳戶，政策制定者應完全取消此類補貼，這樣可以透過移除強制性的鎖定期及其相關罰款來簡化規則。與其使用補貼進行再分配，國會更應專注於稅收簡化，並允許父母扣除供款，從而建立一個更具彈性的通用儲蓄帳戶。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that Donald Trump's unique and prolonged lame-duck period, coupled with domestic political pressures, makes him dangerously prone to international instability. Having exhausted major diplomatic gambits, Trump is expected to channel his energy into high-stakes, unilateral actions, primarily targeting adversaries such as Iran and Cuba. These potential actions—ranging from fresh strikes in the Persian Gulf to attempts at regime change—carry a significant risk of destabilizing regional security and triggering a global economic crisis. Policymakers must anticipate this pivot to high-risk foreign policy to mitigate potential international flare-ups.
-
3.
The Blue Wave signals significant voter frustration with cost of living and inflation, giving Congress a mandate to prioritize affordability and cost-reduction measures. Economically, the rapid build-out of AI data centers is creating localized stress, driving up skilled labor wages and straining resources, while also facing constraints from power grids and potential local regulatory backlash. Policymakers must manage this 'sequencing issue'—addressing rising costs before full productivity gains from AI can materialize—and anticipate shifts in global data center infrastructure as the market matures.
-
4.
The built environment workforce, comprising 15.3 million workers across 95 occupations, is foundational to modern infrastructure and economic stability. While highly paid, the workforce suffers from significant demographic imbalances, being disproportionately white and male, and often lacking clear career progression pathways. To prevent project delays and cost overruns, policy must mandate that capital asset owners treat labor market forecasting as core to project planning. Strategic interventions are required to strengthen career pipelines through robust apprenticeships, improve retention, and actively recruit younger and more diverse workers.
-
5.
The U.S. is drastically reducing core funding to multilateral institutions, withdrawing from numerous bodies due to perceived misalignment with national interests. While multilateral channels offer critical advantages—such as pooling resources for global public goods and managing risk in fragile settings—the U.S.'s funding remains heavily 'earmarked,' which effectively 'bilateralizes' the system and undermines shared burden-sharing. This practice, coupled with deep cuts, diminishes the multilateral system's effectiveness and efficiency, particularly in humanitarian aid. Policy recommendations suggest the U.S. must adopt a systematic, published strategy for aid channel choice and shift from restrictive project-level earmarking to broader thematic funding to restore global cooperation.