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.
Tax Carve-Outs Didn’t Buy Republicans the Midterms
English Summary
The article argues that attempting to buy votes through targeted tax cuts, deductions, or special tax provisions ("tax carve-outs") is an ineffective political strategy for both major parties. Evidence from the midterms suggests that voters are broadly skeptical of new taxes, and even significant tax provisions failed to translate into decisive electoral advantages for either side. Consequently, the analysis advises that policymakers should abandon the use of special tax treatment and instead focus on broad, structural tax rate reductions that simplify the code and ensure similar people are taxed similarly.
中文摘要
本文提出論點，認為試圖透過目標性減稅、扣除額或特殊稅收規定（即「稅收豁免」）來購買選票，對於任何主要政黨而言，都是一種無效的政治策略。中期選舉的證據顯示，選民普遍對新的稅收政策持懷疑態度，即使是重大的稅收規定，也未能為任何一方帶來決定性的選舉優勢。因此，本分析建議政策制定者應放棄使用特殊稅收待遇，轉而專注於進行廣泛的、結構性的稅率降低，以簡化稅法體系，並確保類似人群能以類似方式課稅。
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