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.
Overreach and Retrenchment
English Summary
U.S. foreign policy operates in a cyclical pattern, alternating between periods of aggressive strategic activism—often triggered by major shocks (e.g., the China shock, conflicts)—and subsequent phases of retrenchment and downsizing. Retrenchment efforts typically manifest by reducing ideological commitment, narrowing global focus, limiting military overextension, or moving away from unilateral action. While policymakers may favor specific strategies, the inherent tension between these two modes suggests that future policy will be a blend of both. The primary implication is that the debate over regional priorities, the necessity of multilateral alliances, and the balance between global engagement and domestic focus will remain central and volatile.
中文摘要
美國外交政策呈現週期性模式，其發展會在積極的戰略行動期（通常由重大衝擊，例如「中國衝擊」或衝突所觸發）與隨後的收縮和縮減期之間交替。收縮的努力通常體現在降低意識形態承諾、縮小全球關注範圍、限制軍事過度擴張，或轉離單邊行動。儘管政策制定者可能偏好特定的策略，但這兩種模式之間固有的張力表明，未來政策將是兩者的結合。其主要啟示是，關於區域優先順序、多邊聯盟的必要性，以及全球參與與國內關注之間平衡的辯論，仍將是核心且充滿變數的議題。
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