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 FY 2027 defense budget: How much is enough?
English Summary
The proposed FY 2027 defense budget represents a massive increase, potentially reaching levels comparable to the largest post-WWII spending, driven by standard requests, mandatory add-ons, and supplemental funding for conflicts like Iran. This convergence of large funding streams raises fundamental questions regarding the appropriate level of national defense expenditure. Policymakers face significant tradeoffs concerning how much money is necessary, what specific areas it should fund, and critically, how to maintain robust congressional oversight against escalating spending demands.
中文摘要
提議的2027財政年度國防預算代表著巨大的增長，潛在達到與二戰後最大開支相當的水平。此增幅主要由常規需求、強制附加撥款以及針對伊蘭等衝突的補充資金所驅動。這種大型資金來源的匯聚，引發了關於國家國防支出適當水準的基本疑問。政策制定者面臨重大的權衡取捨：必須確定多少資金是必要的、應分配到哪些特定領域，以及最關鍵的是，如何維持強健的國會監督機制以應對不斷升級的開支需求。
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