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.
2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America
English Summary
The article argues that Donald Trump's decision to run again was primarily motivated by a desire to evade legal prosecution, making him a more focused and effective candidate than in 2016. Conversely, the Biden campaign is criticized for being unprepared and 'sleepwalking,' despite key advisors recognizing their candidate's weaknesses, which was highlighted during a catastrophic debate with Trump. The central finding suggests that the political landscape was not predetermined, but rather shaped by the candidates' reactive strategies and internal campaign failures. This points to a volatile domestic political environment where personal legal jeopardy, rather than traditional policy platforms, drives major electoral outcomes.
中文摘要
本文論點指出，唐納德·川普決定再次競選的主要動機，是為了規避法律追訴，這使他比2016年更具專注性和實效性。相對地，拜登陣營則被批評為準備不足且「猶如在夢遊」，儘管其核心顧問已承認候選人存在弱點，這一點在與川普的災難性辯論中被凸顯。研究的核心發現顯示，政治格局並非預定，而是由候選人的應對策略和內部競選失敗所塑造。這表明，在一個動盪的國內政治環境中，主要的選舉結果驅動因素，已從傳統的政策平台轉變為個人的法律風險。
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