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.
Election Policy Roundup #33: Fending Off Federal Meddling
English Summary
The analysis argues that state and local election officials are successfully resisting escalating federal attempts to interfere with election integrity, highlighting the protective role of federalism. Key evidence includes federal judges restraining the DOJ's threats of criminal prosecution against state officials, and multiple court dismissals of federal suits attempting to mandate ballot changes or segregation. The report notes that state laws provide robust mechanisms for election administration, often rendering federal demands legally unfeasible or impractical. Strategically, the findings underscore that decentralized state autonomy remains the primary defense against federal overreach, making state-level legal adherence critical to maintaining electoral stability.
中文摘要
本分析指出，州和地方選舉官員正成功抵禦聯邦政府日益升級的干預選舉誠信的企圖，凸顯了聯邦制所提供的保護作用。關鍵證據包括聯邦法官阻止司法部（DOJ）對州官員提出刑事起訴的威脅，以及多起法院駁回試圖強制修改投票或實施隔離的聯邦訴訟。報告指出，州法律提供了穩健的選舉管理機制，往往使得聯邦要求在法律上難以實現或不切實際。從戰略角度來看，這些發現強調了分散式的州自治權仍是抵禦聯邦政府越權的主要防線，使得州級的法律遵循對於維持選舉穩定至關重要。
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