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.
Rethinking the purpose of education systems transformation
English Summary
The Brookings study argues that the purpose of education is not a settled policy issue but rather a dynamic construct shaped by the interplay of mindsets, power, and community relationships. Research across India, Peru, and South Africa found that while participants value education based on relational conditions—such as trust, safety, and belonging—current systems primarily reward measurable metrics like attendance and test scores. This reliance on quantifiable data fails to recognize critical, unmeasurable dimensions like learner agency, cultural responsiveness, and the quality of interpersonal relationships. Policymakers are therefore advised to reopen the fundamental question of education's purpose, shifting systemic focus from mere compliance and credentialing toward structurally supporting human dignity and relational development.
中文摘要
布魯金斯學會的研究指出，教育的宗旨並非一個定型的政策議題，而是一個由心態、權力結構和社群關係相互作用所塑造的動態建構體。研究橫跨印度、秘魯和南非，發現參與者雖然重視教育的關係性條件——例如信任、安全感和歸屬感——但現行體系卻主要獎勵可量化的指標，如出勤率和考試成績。這種過度依賴可量化數據的做法，未能認可學習者能動性、文化回應性以及人際關係品質等關鍵的非量化維度。因此，本文建議政策制定者應重新探討教育的根本目的，將系統性的關注點從單純的規章遵循和資格認證，轉移至結構性地支持人類尊嚴和關係發展。
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