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.
How strong is the Chinese Communist Party’s hold on power?
English Summary
The analysis concludes that the CCP's grip on power is currently very secure, though the regime has undergone a significant shift from authoritarianism toward a more totalitarian model. This transformation is largely attributed to Xi Jinping's personal ambition, which has revived coercive institutions and state control, reversing much of the market liberalization seen in previous decades. While the current stability is high, the system is inherently volatile, and the Party's DNA suggests that major leadership transitions are likely to trigger periods of weak governance and dramatic policy course corrections. Policymakers should therefore anticipate that the CCP's current stability masks underlying structural tensions and potential future policy swings.
中文摘要
分析結論指出，中共對權力的掌握目前極為穩固，儘管該政權已從威權主義經歷了重大轉變，轉向了更接近極權的模式。這種轉型主要歸因於習近平的個人野心，他重新激活了強制性制度和國家控制，逆轉了過去幾十年來大部分的市場自由化進程。雖然當前的穩定性很高，但該體系本質上具有內在的不穩定性，且黨的基因顯示，重大的領導層更迭可能會引發治理能力薄弱和劇烈的政策轉向。因此，政策制定者應預期，中共當前的穩定性掩蓋著潛在的結構性張力以及未來可能發生的政策擺盪。
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