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.
2026 International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) Summer Series: Multilateralism Under Pressure
English Summary
The panel concludes that multilateralism is under significant strain due to a shift toward national self-interest and selective disengagement by major powers, particularly the U.S. While global cooperation remains functional in certain areas—such as humanitarian aid or border enforcement—the trend involves retreating from rules-based international compacts (e.g., Global Compact for Migration) toward bilateral agreements focused on immediate security interests. Experts argue that this prioritization of sovereignty and narrow national objectives undermines the universal norms and institutional structures necessary to address complex global challenges like pandemics, climate change, and human rights violations. Policy implications suggest that while multilateral institutions are irreplaceable engines for systemic change, maintaining effective global governance requires a renewed commitment from major powers to shared, non-negotiable international principles.
中文摘要
該小組報告總結指出，由於主要大國傾向將國家自身利益置於首位並採取選擇性脫鉤（selective disengagement），多邊主義正面臨巨大壓力。儘管全球合作在某些領域——例如人道援助或邊境管制——仍能維持運作，但目前的趨勢是從基於規則的國際協定（如《全球移民公約》）轉向專注於即時安全利益的雙邊協議。 專家們認為，這種將主權和狹隘國家目標置於首位的行為，削弱了應對疫情、氣候變遷和人權侵犯等複雜全球挑戰所需的普遍規範和制度結構。政策意涵指出，雖然多邊機構對於系統性轉型是不可或缺的引擎，但維持有效的全球治理，需要主要大國重新承諾遵守共同且不容妥協的國際原則。
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