The article argues that the Federal Reserve's recent rate hike decision, while justifiable on inflation grounds, highlights a critical lack of an underlying, transparent policy framework. The core problem is that the Fed's decisions appear discretionary, leading to market uncertainty because the committee's judgment, rather than clear data, dictates policy shifts. The author proposes that the Fed adopt a formal monetary policy rule—an algebraic formula linking the target rate to indicators like inflation and unemployment—to replace subjective guidance. Implementing such a rule would provide market predictability, enhance transparency, and shield the Fed from political attacks by making deviations from the standard easily quantifiable.
Cultivating a Warrior Ethos in the Air Force: Strategies for Developing Airminded Warriors in Initial Training
English Summary
RAND recommends that the U.S. Air Force adopt a holistic framework to cultivate a unified 'Airminded Warrior' identity, arguing that single changes to basic training are insufficient for success. Drawing on lessons from sister services, the report identifies three reinforcing pillars—"Tell," "Show," and "Do"—to institutionalize service ethos within initial training. Key evidence gathered from interviews with military personnel highlights that developing this identity requires consistently linking individual roles across all career fields to the overarching airpower mission. Policymakers should implement these multi-faceted strategies, ensuring that physical environments, uniform symbolism, and routine habits reinforce a broad sense of shared service identity rather than just functional expertise.
中文摘要
蘭德公司（RAND）建議美國空軍應採納一套整體性框架，以培養統一的「空軍精神戰士」（Airminded Warrior）身份認同，並指出僅對基礎訓練進行單一改變不足以達成目標。該報告汲取了其他軍種的經驗教訓，提出了三個相互加強的支柱——「告知」（Tell）、「展示」（Show）和「實踐」（Do）——用來將服務精神（service ethos）制度化地融入初級訓練。從與軍事人員的訪談中收集到的關鍵證據顯示，建立這種身份認同需要持續將個人在所有職涯領域的角色，連結到空戰任務的宏觀目標。 政策制定者應實施這些多面向的策略，確保物理環境、制服象徵意義和日常習慣都能強化廣泛的共同服務身份感，而非僅限於功能性專業知識。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC serves as a critical warning that the global health security system is fundamentally unprepared for future biological threats. The difficulty in containing this outbreak is compounded by the rising risk of emerging pathogens and the growing potential for AI misuse in bioweapon development. Policy must therefore shift from reactive, crisis-driven funding to sustained, proactive investment in resilient public health infrastructure, particularly in conflict zones. Addressing this requires strengthening global surveillance, ensuring consistent international cooperation, and mitigating the intersection of conflict, climate change, and disease spread.
-
3.A Design Lab Pilot to Inform Strategies for Expanding Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Community Mental Health Centers (RAND)
Despite MOUD being the standard of care for opioid use disorder, access remains severely limited in Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs), which serve the primary population with co-occurring disorders. A Design Lab pilot identified payment limitations and regulatory complexity as the chief barriers to implementation. The most feasible and high-impact strategy identified was establishing a structured learning exchange between CMHC leaders and insurers to improve reimbursement understanding. Policymakers and payers are therefore advised to pilot this learning exchange model to initiate broader payment reform and expand evidence-based care for this vulnerable population.
-
4.
The article argues that modern conflicts are increasingly defined by attrition, driven by three strategic gaps: the difference between nominal military power and usable capacity; the difficulty of achieving breakthroughs in a technologically advanced battlefield; and the detachment of military means from clear political objectives. Evidence from Ukraine and the Middle East demonstrates that sustained logistics, rapid technological adaptation, and proxy networks are now more decisive than sheer military size. For policymakers, this implies a strategic shift away from seeking short, decisive victories toward preparing for prolonged, high-cost engagements, requiring a focus on sustainable supply chains and defining concrete, attainable political end-states.
-
5.
Congress has significantly expanded presidential tariff authority by passing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, allowing the executive to impose up to 100% tariffs on key buyers of Russian energy and sanctions enablers. The article argues that this legislation represents a dangerous abdication of Congress's Article I authority, as it grants the executive vast, discretionary power without specifying criteria for enforcement. Historically, the executive could claim tariffs were its own doing; however, by writing and passing this new authority, Congress now owns the resulting trade policy and its economic consequences. This shift implies that future tariffs will be viewed by the public as a direct legislative action, potentially undermining the administration's credibility and creating political vulnerability.