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.
Unleashing Market Forces for Spectrum Use in Space
English Summary
The article argues that current government-directed spectrum governance, particularly in space, is inherently inefficient and suppresses the economic potential of spectrum use. This inefficiency is driven by outdated rules (such as EPFD limits) designed to protect incumbent users, which create artificial barriers to innovation and efficient resource allocation. While the FCC's proposed rule changes represent a positive step toward modernization, the analysis concludes that truly optimizing spectrum requires a fundamental shift toward market-based mechanisms and legally strong property rights. Policy strategists must recognize that relying solely on regulatory frameworks will fail to match the efficiency of a market-driven system for maximizing resource productivity.
中文摘要
本文論述，當前政府主導的頻譜治理，特別是在太空頻譜領域，本質上是低效的，並抑制了頻譜利用的經濟潛力。這種低效率源於過時的規定（例如EPFD限制），這些規定旨在保護既有用戶，從而為創新和資源配置的效率創造了人工壁壘。雖然美國聯邦通信委員會（FCC）提出的規則修訂代表了現代化的積極步驟，但分析結論指出，真正優化頻譜的關鍵，必須是根本性轉向市場機制和法律保障的財產權。政策策略制定者必須認識到，僅僅依賴監管框架，將無法匹配市場驅動系統在最大化資源生產力方面的效率。
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.