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.
US at 250: Internationalism vs. isolationism – America’s enduring foreign policy debate
English Summary
The Chatham House analysis frames American foreign policy as a persistent tension between internationalism and isolationism, a dynamic that has defined U.S. statecraft since its founding. Historically, this pendulum has swung between global engagement (e.g., Wilsonian ideals) and withdrawal (e.g., America First policies). The core finding is that current skepticism toward the rules-based international order may not signal a historic rupture, but rather the latest swing of a familiar, cyclical pattern. Policymakers must recognize this enduring duality, as strategic shifts are likely to reflect a return to historical patterns of prioritizing immediate American interests over long-term global commitments.
中文摘要
查塔姆學會的分析指出，美國的外交政策始終是在國際主義與孤立主義之間持續的張力，這一動態自美國建國以來就定義了其國家策略。從歷史上看，這種擺盪曾介於全球參與（例如維爾遜主義理想）與退縮（例如「美國優先」政策）之間。核心發現是，當前對基於規則的國際秩序的懷疑，可能並不代表歷史性的斷裂，而只是這種熟悉、週期性模式的最新一次擺盪。政策制定者必須認識到這種持久的二元性，因為戰略轉變很可能反映出重新傾向於將即時美國利益置於長期全球承諾之上的歷史模式。
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