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.
Government Ownership Stakes in Companies Becoming Routine Under Trump
English Summary
The article argues that government ownership stakes in private companies are becoming a routine and systematic feature of U.S. industrial policy, particularly under the current administration's use of CHIPS Act incentives. Evidence shows Commerce is adopting a 'portfolio approach,' tying billions in R&D funding to minority equity stakes across multiple recipients. This shift institutionalizes the federal government as regulator, customer, financier, and shareholder—a departure from previous practices. The primary implication is the creation of significant policy conflicts and market distortions, raising concerns about an uneven playing field for competitors and establishing a powerful tool that future administrations may use to pursue political economic agendas.
中文摘要
本文論述，美國政府對私營公司的股權持有已成為其工業政策中一種常規且系統性的特徵，尤其體現在現任政府利用《CHIPS法案》激勵措施的實踐上。證據顯示，商務部正在採取「投資組合式方法」（portfolio approach），將數十億美元的研發資金與多個受援方所持有的少數股權掛鉤。這種轉變使聯邦政府的角色制度化為監管者、客戶、融資方和股東——這已偏離了以往的做法。主要的政策意涵是，它可能造成重大的政策衝突和市場扭曲，引發對競爭環境不公平的擔憂，並建立了一種強大的工具，未來行政部門可能會用來推動其政治經濟議程。
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