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.
The Fate of “America First”
English Summary
The article analyzes the evolving nature of the 'America First' foreign policy following the inauguration of President Trump's second term. While initially promising unilateral action, the administration's policy is shifting toward a more constrained and structured approach. This pivot is evidenced by the release of the National Security Strategy, which redefines national objectives and suggests a move away from pure populism. For policymakers, this implies that even highly nationalist foreign policies must ultimately acknowledge global constraints and integrate into formal strategic planning.
中文摘要
本文分析了「美國優先」（America First）外交政策在川普總統第二任期後的演變趨勢。儘管初期承諾採取單邊行動，但該政府的政策正轉向更為受限和結構化的模式。這一轉變體現在國家安全戰略（National Security Strategy）的發布中，該戰略重新定義了國家目標，並暗示了其正在擺脫純粹民粹主義的傾向。對於政策制定者而言，這意味著即使是高度民族主義的外交政策，最終也必須承認全球的制約，並融入正式的戰略規劃之中。
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