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.
What agency means and looks like to girls – and why this matters
English Summary
The analysis argues that 'agency' is not a single, universal concept but a multidimensional, dynamic capacity for self-determination, defined by girls themselves through their lived experiences. Key evidence shows that while individual actions (such as making decisions or speaking out) are central to agency, these actions are fundamentally constrained or enabled by the surrounding 'ecosystem'—including parents, community leaders, and educational systems. Consequently, policy and programmatic interventions must shift focus from individual skill-building to addressing systemic barriers and engaging the entire social ecosystem to genuinely support girls' self-directed aspirations and choices.
中文摘要
本分析提出，「能動性」（agency）並非一個單一、普世的概念，而是一種多維度、動態的自我決定能力，且此能力需由女孩們透過自身的生命經驗來定義。關鍵證據顯示，雖然個體行動（例如做決定或發聲）是能動性的核心要素，但這些行動本質上受到周遭「生態系統」的限制或賦能——此生態系統包括父母、社區領袖和教育體系等。因此，政策和計畫性的干預措施必須從著重個體技能建構，轉向解決系統性障礙，並與整個社會生態系統互動，才能真正支持女孩們的自我主導的抱負與選擇。
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