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.
BRICS and the future of global power
English Summary
The Chatham House analysis frames BRICS as a pivotal grouping actively seeking to restructure global power dynamics amid intensifying great power competition. Its primary ambition is reforming existing international institutions to establish a more multipolar world order, challenging established Western governance models. However, the group's cohesion remains complex, marked by significant internal tensions and diverse national priorities among its leading members regarding trade, development, and strategic autonomy. Policymakers must recognize that BRICS represents a growing bloc whose collective efforts will increasingly shape global geopolitical alignments and institutional reform.
中文摘要
查塔姆學會的分析指出，金磚國家（BRICS）是一個關鍵集團，正積極尋求在日益加劇的大國競爭背景下重塑全球權力結構。其主要目標是改革現有的國際制度，建立一個更具多極性的世界秩序，從而挑戰既定的西方治理模式。然而，該集團的凝聚力依然複雜，成員國之間存在顯著的內部張力和多元化的國家優先事項，尤其是在貿易、發展和戰略自主性等議題上。政策制定者必須認識到，金磚國家代表了一個不斷壯大的陣營，其集體努力將越來越深刻地形塑全球的地緣政治格局與制度改革。
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