Christopher Paul

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Social Scientist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Pittsburgh Office

Education

Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in sociology, University of California, Los Angeles

Overview

Biography

Christopher Paul is a social scientist at the RAND Corporation and professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He is also a member of the adjunct faculty in the Center for Economic Development in the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. Prior to joining RAND full-time in July 2002, Paul worked as an adjunct at RAND for six years and on the statistics faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2001–02. Paul has developed methodological competencies in comparative historical and case study approaches, quantitative analysis, and survey research. Paul received his Ph.D. in sociology from UCLA.

Research Focus

Concurrent Non-RAND Positions

Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School; Adjunct faculty, Center for Economic Development, Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University

Recent Projects

  • Strategic communication in counterinsurgency
  • Urban flashpoints
  • Future needs for operations in cyberspace
  • The organization of Marine Corps intelligence
  • Shaping perceptions and behaviors of noncombatant populations

Selected Publications

Christopher Paul, Strategic Communication: Origins, Concepts, and Current Debates, Praeger, 2011

Christopher Paul, "As a Fish Swims in the Sea: Relationships Between Factors Contributing to Support for Terrorist or Insurgent Groups," Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 33(6):388-410, 2010

Christopher Paul, "Strategic Communication is Vague: Say What You Mean," Joint Force Quarterly, (56):10-13, 2010

Christopher Paul, Colin P. Clarke, and Beth Grill, Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Sources of Success in Counterinsurgency, RAND Corporation (MG-964), 2010

Christopher Paul, Whither Strategic Communication? A Survey of Current Proposals and Recommendations, RAND Corporation (OP-250), 2009

Christopher Paul et al., "Identifying Urban Flashpoints: A Delphi Derived Model for Scoring Cities' Vulnerability to Large Scale Unrest," Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 31(11):981-1000, 2008

Christopher Paul, Information Operations - Doctrine and Practice: A Reference Handbook, Praeger, 2008

Todd C. Helmus, Christopher Paul and Russell W. Glenn, Enlisting Madison Avenue: The Marketing Approach to Earning Popular Support in Theaters of Operation, RAND Corporation (MG-607), 2007

Honors & Awards

  • 2010 Merit Bonus Award, RAND

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Christian Science Monitor; Fox; Hartford Courant; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Stars and Stripes

Commentary

History Favors More Time — Apr 3, 2012

  • NYTimes.com

Find the Right Balance Between Civilian and Military: Don't Just Strip the DoD of Capabilities to Inform, Influence, and Persuade — Oct 31, 2010

  • MountainRunner Institute

Psychological Operations by Another Name Are Sweeter — Jul 29, 2010

  • Small Wars Journal

Rethink Washington's 'War of Ideas' — Jun 2, 2009

  • The Christian Science Monitor

Ad Men for U.S. Defense — Aug 20, 2007

  • United Press International

Publications

Redefining Information Warfare Boundaries for an Army in a Wireless World - 2013

What Works Best When Building Partner Capacity and Under What Circumstances? - 2013

Challenges Facing U. S. Government and Department of Defense Efforts in Strategic Communication - 2012

Qualitative Comparative Analysis of 30 Insurgencies, 1978-2008 - 2012

Alert and Ready: An Organizational Design Assessment of Marine Corps Intelligence - 2011

Counterinsurgency Scorecard: Afghanistan in Early 2011 Relative to the Insurgencies of the Past 30 Years - 2011

Evidentiary Validation of FM 3-24: Counterinsurgency Worldwide, 1978-2008 - 2011

Getting Better at Strategic Communication - 2011

How Successful Are U.S. Efforts to Build Capacity in Developing Countries? A Framework to Assess the Global Train and Equip "1206" Program - 2011

The Challenge of Violent Drug-Trafficking Organizations: An Assessment of Mexican Security Based on Existing RAND Research on Urban Unrest, Insurgency, and Defense-Sector Reform - 2011

The Long Shadow of 9/11: America's Response to Terrorism - 2011

Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Evidence of Effective Approaches to Counterinsurgency, 1978-2008 - 2011

"Strategic Communication" Is Vague: Say What You Mean - 2010

Adding Value to Air Force Management Through Building Partnerships Assessment - 2010

As a Fish Swims in the Sea: Relationships Between Factors Contributing to Support for Terrorist or Insurgent Groups - 2010

Developing an Assessment Framework for U.S. Air Force Building Partnerships Programs - 2010

Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Detailed Counterinsurgency Case Studies - 2010

Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Sources of Success in Counterinsurgency - 2010

Social Science for Counterterrorism: Putting the Pieces Together - 2009

Whither Strategic Communication? A Survey of Current Proposals and Recommendations - 2009

A Cautionary Case Study of Approaches to the Treatment of Missing Data - 2008

An Examination of Options to Reduce Underway Training Days Through the Use of Simulation - 2008

Defining Terrorists' Information Requirements: The Modified Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (ModIPB) Framework - 2008

Identifying Urban Flashpoints: A Delphi-Derived Model for Scoring Cities' Vulnerability to Large-Scale Unrest - 2008

''People Make the City,'' Executive Summary: Joint Urban Operations Observations and Insights from Afghanistan and Iraq - 2007

Applying Madison Avenue Principles and Recent Operational Experience to Counterinsurgency and Stability Operations - 2007

Can Publicly Available Information Be Used in Planning Terrorist Attacks? - 2007

Enlisting Madison Avenue: The Marketing Approach to Earning Popular Support in Theaters of Operation - 2007

Freedom and Information: Assessing Publicly Available Data Regarding U.S. Transportation Infrastructure Security - 2007

Acquiring Simulation Training: Evaluating and Implementing an Innovative Approach - 2006

Implementing and Evaluating an Innovative Approach to Simulation Training Acquisitions - 2006

Preparing for the Proven Inevitable: An Urban Operations Training Strategy for America’s Joint Force - 2006

Adopting New Procurement Methods in the U.S. Air Force: What Skills and Training are Needed? - 2004

Air Force Procurement Workforce Transformation: Lessons from the Commercial Sector - 2004

Intern Programs as a Human Resources Management Tool for the Department of Defense - 2004

Reporters on the Battlefield: The Embedded Press System in Historical Context - 2004

The U.S. Military Intervention Decision-Making Process: Who Participates, and How? - 2004

Challenges in Defense Working Capital Fund Pricing: Analysis of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service - 2003

Improving the Defense Finance and Accounting Service's Interactions With Its Customers - 2001

Improving the DoD's Defense Finance and Accounting Service - 2001

Moving Forward with State Autonomy and Capacity: Example from Two Studies of the Pentagon During W.W. II - 2000

Breast Cancer Screening Adherence: Does Church Attendance Matter? - 1998

US Presidential War Powers: Legacy Chains in Military Intervention Decisionmaking -