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.
Improving HUD-VASH Utilization Under Changing Income Eligibility Requirements
English Summary
This RAND analysis examines how recent federal policy changes expanding HUD-VASH eligibility for veterans have impacted housing utilization. While new regulations removed disability benefits from income consideration, the study found that expanded eligibility alone did not significantly increase voucher usage. Key barriers to effective utilization include insufficient VA referrals, high case manager caseloads, and systemic administrative hurdles, compounded by local housing market unaffordability. Policymakers must therefore focus on improving service delivery and addressing these operational and market gaps, rather than relying solely on income eligibility adjustments.
中文摘要
這份RAND分析檢視了近期聯邦政策改變，擴大HUD-VASH對退伍軍人的資格範圍，對住房利用率的影響。儘管新規定將殘障福利從收入考量中移除，但研究發現，單純擴大資格範圍並未顯著增加房屋券的使用量。有效利用的關鍵障礙包括：退伍軍人事務部（VA）轉介不足、個案管理員的工作量過大，以及系統性的行政障礙，這些問題又因地方房地產市場的不可負擔性而加劇。因此，政策制定者必須將重點放在改善服務提供和解決這些營運及市場缺口上，而非僅依賴收入資格的調整。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that Donald Trump's unique and prolonged lame-duck period, coupled with domestic political pressures, makes him dangerously prone to international instability. Having exhausted major diplomatic gambits, Trump is expected to channel his energy into high-stakes, unilateral actions, primarily targeting adversaries such as Iran and Cuba. These potential actions—ranging from fresh strikes in the Persian Gulf to attempts at regime change—carry a significant risk of destabilizing regional security and triggering a global economic crisis. Policymakers must anticipate this pivot to high-risk foreign policy to mitigate potential international flare-ups.
-
3.
The Blue Wave signals significant voter frustration with cost of living and inflation, giving Congress a mandate to prioritize affordability and cost-reduction measures. Economically, the rapid build-out of AI data centers is creating localized stress, driving up skilled labor wages and straining resources, while also facing constraints from power grids and potential local regulatory backlash. Policymakers must manage this 'sequencing issue'—addressing rising costs before full productivity gains from AI can materialize—and anticipate shifts in global data center infrastructure as the market matures.
-
4.
The built environment workforce, comprising 15.3 million workers across 95 occupations, is foundational to modern infrastructure and economic stability. While highly paid, the workforce suffers from significant demographic imbalances, being disproportionately white and male, and often lacking clear career progression pathways. To prevent project delays and cost overruns, policy must mandate that capital asset owners treat labor market forecasting as core to project planning. Strategic interventions are required to strengthen career pipelines through robust apprenticeships, improve retention, and actively recruit younger and more diverse workers.
-
5.
The U.S. is drastically reducing core funding to multilateral institutions, withdrawing from numerous bodies due to perceived misalignment with national interests. While multilateral channels offer critical advantages—such as pooling resources for global public goods and managing risk in fragile settings—the U.S.'s funding remains heavily 'earmarked,' which effectively 'bilateralizes' the system and undermines shared burden-sharing. This practice, coupled with deep cuts, diminishes the multilateral system's effectiveness and efficiency, particularly in humanitarian aid. Policy recommendations suggest the U.S. must adopt a systematic, published strategy for aid channel choice and shift from restrictive project-level earmarking to broader thematic funding to restore global cooperation.