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.
Africa Programme
English Summary
Chatham House’s Africa Programme argues that independent, politically focused analysis of individual African states is essential for better international decision-making and conflict prevention. It supports this claim by emphasizing its convening role with senior officials and experts, its non-commercial independence from political-risk consultancies, and its work to improve the quality of information used by policymakers and investors. The programme also links long-term investment success to transparency, accountability, and rule of law, while encouraging non-confrontational reform by governments and businesses. Strategically, the message is that governments and corporations should back nuanced country-level political analysis and governance-focused engagement to manage risk, support stability, and capture future growth opportunities as African states gain global influence.
中文摘要
查塔姆研究所（Chatham House）非洲計畫主張，若要改善國際決策並預防衝突，關鍵在於對個別非洲國家進行獨立且聚焦政治面的分析。該計畫以其與高階官員及專家召集對話的平台角色、其有別於政治風險顧問公司的非商業性獨立立場，以及其提升決策者與投資人所用資訊品質的工作，來支持此一論點。該計畫亦指出，長期投資成功與透明度、問責機制及法治密切相關，並鼓勵政府與企業以非對抗方式推動改革。其策略訊息是：隨著非洲國家全球影響力上升，各國政府與企業應支持更細緻的國別政治分析與以治理為核心的互動，以管理風險、促進穩定並把握未來成長機會。
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