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.
Foreign Policy and the 2026 Midterms: A CFR Guide
English Summary
The CFR guide argues that while the cost of living remains the primary voter concern for the 2026 midterms, foreign policy issues are increasingly feeding into domestic economic anxieties. Key evidence shows that geopolitical conflicts, such as the war with Iran and trade tariffs, are directly contributing to rising gas prices and household costs, giving these global issues outsized weight at the ballot box. For policymakers, the implication is that foreign policy decisions must be framed not just in terms of national security, but also in terms of immediate, tangible economic stability to resonate with the electorate.
中文摘要
戰略與國際研究中心（CFR）的指引指出，儘管生活成本仍是2026年中期選舉中選民的首要關注點，但外交政策議題正日益滲透到國內經濟焦慮之中。關鍵證據顯示，地緣政治衝突，例如與伊朗的戰爭和貿易關稅，直接導致了汽油價格和家庭開支的上升，使得這些全球性議題在選民投票時佔據了不成比例的份量。對於政策制定者而言，這意味著外交政策的決策必須不僅以國家安全為框架，更必須以即時、具體的經濟穩定性來闡述，才能引起選民的共鳴。
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