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.
Betting on Democracy
English Summary
The rapid growth of election prediction markets, which now involve billions in speculative trading, presents a dual challenge: they are highly accurate tools for political forecasting but are vulnerable to fraud and insider trading. While these markets have potential for public good, their current regulatory framework is outdated and insufficient to manage the risks posed by major financial players. To protect the democratic process and maintain market integrity, policymakers—specifically Congress and the CFTC—must urgently update regulations to mandate public disclosure of large positions and implement strict prohibitions on insider trading by political insiders.
中文摘要
選舉預測市場的快速增長，目前涉及數十億美元的投機交易，帶來了雙重挑戰：一方面，它們是極為精準的政治預測工具；另一方面，它們容易受到欺詐和內部交易的侵害。儘管這些市場具有公共利益的潛力，但其現行的監管框架已經過時且不足以管理大型金融參與者帶來的風險。為保護民主進程並維持市場的完整性，政策制定者——特別是國會和商品期貨交易委員會（CFTC）——必須緊急更新相關法規，以強制要求公開大型持倉部位，並實施嚴格的禁令，禁止政治內部人士進行內部交易。
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