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RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2013 RAND Corporation. Last Modified: April 09, 2012 Site Feedback »
RAND® is a registered trademark. Copyright © 1994-2013 RAND Corporation. Last Modified: April 09, 2012 Site Feedback »
RAND researchers contribute commentaries to newspapers, magazines and websites worldwide. This page provides a chronological list of commentaries by RAND researchers. Click on an author name to see all commentary by the author.
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Commentary pieces by RAND staff are the analyses of the authors, and not of RAND itself.
The Real Cyber Threat — May 21, 2013
Chemical Weapons in Syria: What Could the U.S. Do About Them? — May 21, 2013
Using Mobile Money to Make Water Safe — May 21, 2013
Firefighting Aircraft: Is Bigger Better? — May 20, 2013
Paying for Infrastructure, a Taxing Issue — May 16, 2013
What Bangladesh — and US Retailers — Must Do to Prevent Man-Made Tragedies — May 16, 2013
Turkey and Intervention in Syria — May 15, 2013
Learning the Wrong Lessons from Israel's Intervention in Syria — May 14, 2013
Will Iran's Real Reformists Please Stand Up? — May 14, 2013
Advancing Social Outcomes: Private Investors Could Be Part of the Solution — May 14, 2013
Drones Are Useful, but Not the Solution or the Problem — May 14, 2013
Crowd-sourcing Our Security — May 13, 2013
Libya Needs U.S. Help for Security — May 13, 2013
H7N9 Bird Flu — Health Authorities Are Prepared, but Must Stay on High Alert — May 10, 2013
The Value of Uncertainty: Assessing Global Societal Trends — May 9, 2013
How to Avert a Sea Catastrophe with China — May 8, 2013
Enhancing Security Cooperation at the Korea-U.S. Summit — May 7, 2013
Searching for Clues on the Brothers Tsarnaev — May 5, 2013
Thinking Through Options on North Korea — May 3, 2013
Boards, Compliance and Reputation: Diving Shallow Versus Diving Deep — May 1, 2013
The Syrian Chemical Weapons Conundrum — May 1, 2013
A Truly Great Leap Forward — April 30, 2013
The Cost of Dementia: Who Will Pay? — April 30, 2013
Dementia's Growing Cost to Caregivers — April 29, 2013
Governors Missing the Point on Medicaid — April 29, 2013
7 Key Questions on Marijuana Legalization — April 25, 2013
Put Peer Review Under Review — April 25, 2013
Why Iran Is Trying to Save the Syrian Regime — April 24, 2013
Lessons from Boston — April 24, 2013
The Economic Promise of Malaria Reduction — April 24, 2013
Labor and Opposition in Iran — April 22, 2013
Reacting to Boston — April 22, 2013
Can Catholic Colleges Block Free Condom Distribution? — April 22, 2013
Tsarnaev Brothers' Impact on U.S.-Russian Counterterrorism Cooperation — April 21, 2013
Are High-Stakes Tests Counterproductive? — April 21, 2013
Boston Marathon Bombings Highlight Need to Measure Investment in Homeland Security — April 18, 2013
Why U.S. Was Surprised, but Prepared for Boston Attack — April 18, 2013
The Day After — April 18, 2013
Planning for Superstorms, Wildfires, and Deep Uncertainty — April 18, 2013
Consider Taxing Miles Traveled — April 18, 2013
Forget What You Think You Know — April 18, 2013
Obama-Park Summit a Critical Opportunity for the US-Korea Alliance — April 17, 2013
When Armies Divide: Securing Nuclear Arsenals During Internal Upheavals — April 12, 2013
A Russia-China Alliance Brewing? — April 12, 2013
A Delicate Deterrence Dance with North Korea — April 11, 2013
Increase Funds for Quality — April 11, 2013
Give Poor Kids a Chance with Early Education — April 9, 2013
Special Ops Global Whack-a-Mole — April 8, 2013
Why It's No Longer the Chummy 1990s for Turkey, Israel — April 8, 2013
The Benefits of U.S. Drones in West Africa — April 5, 2013
Iran's Forgotten Ethnic Minorities — April 3, 2013
Kill the Space Launch System to Save Human Spaceflight — April 1, 2013
Helping Obama—and Other Americans—Weigh Which Health Insurance Exchange to Pick — April 1, 2013
The Risks of an Excess of Caution in Syria — March 29, 2013
Remove Medicare's Straitjacket — March 29, 2013
Why China's Suntech Might Not Be Alone in Heading Toward Bankruptcy — March 29, 2013
A Gradually Escalating Carbon Tax Would Allow Businesses and Consumers Time to Prepare — March 28, 2013
America's Delicate Dance in the Pacific — March 28, 2013
Prices Will Still Be Dictated by World Markets and the Middle East Will Continue to Bedevil Policymakers — March 27, 2013
Why Erdogan Wants Peace With the PKK — March 27, 2013
Guns in Homes: A Health Hazard — March 25, 2013
Demonstration Effect — March 22, 2013
The Invasion of Iraq: A Balance Sheet — March 22, 2013
The Deeply Mixed Results of the Iraq War — March 21, 2013
Making Heart Disease a Women's Issue — March 20, 2013
Grappling with the Sequester: Q&A with Charles Nemfakos — March 20, 2013
Iraq Isn't as Fragile as It Looks — March 19, 2013
A Lesson from Iraq War: How to Outsource War to Private Contractors — March 19, 2013
High-Quality Early Childhood Programs Require High-Quality Teachers — March 18, 2013
Satellite Collision Is a Reminder of Challenges Posed by Space Debris — March 15, 2013
Unlearning the Lessons of Iraq — March 14, 2013
Learning Curve — March 13, 2013
Innovating Out of a Crisis: How Research and Innovation are Key to Europe's Future — March 13, 2013
Ruling Can Lead to Tougher New York Soda Ban — March 12, 2013
China's Defense Spending Mystery — March 12, 2013
Tuberculosis Outbreak in LA Reminds Us of Importance of 'Bread and Butter' Public Health Capabilities — March 12, 2013
Tax the Nonprofits — March 11, 2013
The SSDI Program's Impact on Human Capital — March 8, 2013
A National Strategy for Supporting Military Caregivers — March 7, 2013
Does U.S. Gas Tax Still Make Sense? — March 6, 2013
Iran's Elections to End All Elections — March 6, 2013
What Went Wrong in Afghanistan? Allowing a Sanctuary in Pakistan — March 1, 2013
Europe and African Defense — February 28, 2013
What Is an Act of Cyberwar? It's a Decision, Not a Conclusion — February 28, 2013
A Health Care Entitlement Worth Ending — February 27, 2013
The Delayed Promise of Health-Care IT — February 26, 2013
The Russia Gambit — February 26, 2013
A Gap in Cultural Intelligence — February 25, 2013
Al Qaeda Is Weak and Bungling—but Still Dangerous — February 25, 2013
Is Asia's Forgotten Revolt About to Explode? — February 25, 2013
Transitioning to a Carbon Tax Credit — February 22, 2013
What to Expect from Obama and Abe's U.S.-Japan Summit — February 22, 2013
The President's Early Childhood Expansion Should Take a 'Portfolio' Approach — February 21, 2013
The Effects of Celestial Events Go Beyond Their Impact — February 20, 2013
A Better Method for Estimating Teacher Performance — February 19, 2013
Anxious Whispers in Tripoli — February 19, 2013
Drug Cartels an X-Factor for Obama, Peña Nieto — February 19, 2013
Is Enforcement Key to Fixing America's Immigration System? — February 15, 2013
NATO, US Must Shore Up Libya — February 15, 2013
North Korea's Third Nuclear Test: A Sign of Weakness, Not Strength — February 15, 2013
The Environmental Costs of Emissions from Shale Gas Extraction — February 14, 2013
Changing World Climate Requires a Dynamic Foreign Policy — February 14, 2013
The Challenge of Securing Russian Cooperation in Achieving Further Nuclear Reductions — February 13, 2013
Intelsat Crash a Setback for Space Lift Competition — February 12, 2013
Do You Get What You Pay For? Maybe Not in Health Care — February 12, 2013
Khamenei's Mounting Pressures — February 11, 2013
The European Cyber Security Strategy: Too Big to Fail? — February 8, 2013
Legalization and Border Security: Are We There Yet? — February 7, 2013
Global Methane Initiative: Converting Harmful Emissions to Usable Energy — February 6, 2013
Reading Chuck Hagel in Tehran — February 6, 2013
What Is Iran's Strategy at New Talks? — February 5, 2013
RAND Extends Global Reach of Innovation — February 5, 2013
The Super Bowl Halftime Show Should Not Be Promoting a Public Health Threat — February 1, 2013
What Does the Amenas Attack Mean for U.S. Policy in Africa? — January 31, 2013
The Winners and Losers from the Syria Conflict — January 31, 2013
U.S. 'Soft Power' Abroad Is Losing Its Punch — January 31, 2013
The Dynamics of the Hostage Situation at Amenas — January 30, 2013
25 Small Ideas for Saving Big Health Care Dollars — January 30, 2013
The Motivations Behind the Amenas Terrorist Attack — January 29, 2013
TAFTA: SMEs Would Benefit Greatly — January 28, 2013
Health Care Spending Growth Tamed? Hardly — January 25, 2013
What Does Israel's Election Mean for Israeli-Palestinian Peace? — January 25, 2013
Foreign Intervention in Mali Is Libya in Reverse — January 24, 2013
The al Qaeda Threat in North Africa — January 24, 2013
When Winning Means Losing: Israel After the Election — January 23, 2013
Israeli Election Not Likely to End Pressure on Obama for Iran Action — January 23, 2013
Profile: Revolutionary Guards Chief Gen. Jafari — January 21, 2013
Hostage Taking Exposes Terror Threat in Africa — January 17, 2013
Firearms and Gun Control: Many Questions, Some Answers — January 17, 2013
Can Improved Mental Health Care Prevent Gun Crimes? The Truth Is, We Don't Know — January 17, 2013
The French Intervention in Mali Is Necessary, but Risky — January 17, 2013
The Syrian Game Changer — January 17, 2013
Grading Teachers — January 16, 2013
France Needs More Than Force in Mali — January 16, 2013
No Child Left Behind, Act II — January 14, 2013
Book Review: 'The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor' by Jake Tapper — January 12, 2013
States Tackle Education's Holy Grail: Measuring a Teacher's Effectiveness — January 11, 2013
Opening of the European Cybercrime Centre — a Journey Begins — January 11, 2013
Taking Stock on the Anniversary of 'No Child Left Behind' — January 10, 2013
Moving Beyond Afghanistan's Soviet Legacy — January 10, 2013
A Matter of Degree: Who Can Authorize a Cyberattack? — January 9, 2013
Health Care Costs Are Killing Us — January 4, 2013
Accounting for Risk of Violent Death — January 4, 2013
Sanctions Squeeze Revolutionary Guard — January 4, 2013
Al Qaeda Threat to U.S. Embassy in Yemen Raises Questions — January 4, 2013
Health Care Cost Growth Is Hurting Middle-Class Families — January 3, 2013
Iran: A Rough Year in 2013 — January 2, 2013
The Mirage of the Arab Spring — January 1, 2013
New 'Rule Book' to Set Parameters for Targeted Killings — December 31, 2012
Big Defense Cuts Are Coming, Regardless of the Fiscal Cliff — December 27, 2012
Shifting the Burden of Mental Health Care: Helping Families — December 21, 2012
Egypt's Constitutional Referendum Was an Opportunity Lost — December 21, 2012
Responding to Newtown — December 21, 2012
Silencing the Science on Gun Research — December 21, 2012
North Korean 'Satellite' May Fall from Sky, but That Won't Deter Kim Jong-Un — December 21, 2012
Wanted: Balance in Defense Cuts — December 20, 2012
In Connecticut, Recovery and Healing Will Take Time — December 20, 2012
More Secure or Less Free? — December 17, 2012
Making Extended Learning Time Worth the Investment — December 14, 2012
What Happens When a 'Food Desert' Gets an Oasis? — December 13, 2012
Did Russia Just Throw Assad Under the Bus? — December 13, 2012
North Korea's Just Getting Started — December 12, 2012
Generations of Terrorism — December 12, 2012
Syria and Chemical Weapons: What Can the U.S. Do Now? — December 12, 2012
Political Impasse in Egypt — December 12, 2012
Fake Boarding Pass Fears Inflated — December 11, 2012
Economy Needs 'Unretired' — December 11, 2012
Bad Stats Skew Defense Needs — December 10, 2012
Syria, the Case for Intervention — December 7, 2012
High Hopes for Philippine Peace Plan — December 6, 2012
Far More U.S. Health Security Research Effort Aimed at Bioterrorism than Natural Disasters — December 3, 2012
Cyber Operations Can Supplement a War, but They Cannot Be the War — December 1, 2012
Civil Society Can Help China Modernise — December 1, 2012
Supporting Families Affected by Military Suicide Should Be a Priority for All — November 29, 2012
Don't Give Up on Egypt's Political Transition Just Yet — November 28, 2012
The Costs of Counterfeiting — November 28, 2012
Afghan Drawdown Numbers May Obscure Larger Questions — November 28, 2012
'New Normal' Requires New Ways to Support Social and 'Human' Recovery — November 26, 2012
Turkey Edges Toward Seeking NATO Support in Syria Crisis — November 21, 2012
Latest Alleged Homegrown 'Terrorists' Fit the Mold — November 20, 2012
America's Trouble with China — November 19, 2012
Obama and Myanmar (Burma): Four Points About Conflict There — November 19, 2012
Will Mexico's New President Continue the War on the Cartels? — November 16, 2012
Generation Ex — November 15, 2012
Obama Trip Could Be Bellwether for U.S.-Asia Relations — November 15, 2012
The Diplomatic Power of Art — November 15, 2012
Short-Term Savings, Long-Term Losses: When Police Departments Respond to Economic Pressure by Cutting Their Forces — November 12, 2012
Chinese-Iranian Ties in the Face of the Nuclear Crisis — November 9, 2012
We Need a Public-Private Approach to Supporting Veterans — November 9, 2012
What Louisiana Can Teach New York and New Jersey — November 8, 2012
U.S. Role in Kirkuk Could Promote Peace, Prevent Conflict in Northern Iraq — November 5, 2012
U.S. President Can Sustain Peace with China, through Deterrence — November 5, 2012
Two Unspoken Issues in the Presidential Energy Debate — November 5, 2012
The National Security Consensus — November 5, 2012
The Paradoxes of China — November 5, 2012
In Wake of Hurricane Sandy, Look to Louisiana for Lessons — November 1, 2012
Russian Nuclear Exercises Display Putin's Misguided Priorities — October 31, 2012
Helping Displaced Students in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy — October 31, 2012
Immigration Needs a Hybrid Fix — October 31, 2012
The Insight of Twitter — October 31, 2012
Should We Ration End-of-Life Care? — October 30, 2012
Rhetorical Questions — October 25, 2012
The Challenges of Libya's Post-Qadhafi Transition — October 25, 2012
Nine Lessons on How to Teach 21st Century Skills and Knowledge — October 24, 2012
A Crucial Difference on Iran — October 23, 2012
Difficult Questions on Today's Terrorist Threat — October 22, 2012
What Drives Income Inequality? — October 22, 2012
Don't Blame Unrest on Arab Spring — October 21, 2012
What the Soviets Can Teach Us About Leaving Afghanistan — October 18, 2012
Why Civilian Military Secretaries Are No Longer Needed — October 18, 2012
Muslim Brotherhood Failing to Learn from Mistakes — October 18, 2012
America's Role in the World — October 18, 2012
Confronting a Rising China Begins at Home — October 17, 2012
Israel, Iran, and the Redline Debate — October 17, 2012
Difficult Questions on Afghanistan and Pakistan — October 17, 2012
Health Care Costs Must Be Curbed, No Matter Who Wins — October 16, 2012
Libya and the Future of Liberal Intervention — October 12, 2012
Candy at the Cash Register—A Risk Factor for Obesity and Chronic Disease — October 11, 2012
Expect More Drone Use Like Recent Israeli Episode — October 11, 2012
Bringing the Taliban to the Table: Long-Term Prospects for the Afghan Peace Talks — October 11, 2012
Hands Off Syria? — October 8, 2012
California Improves on Affordable Care Act by Letting RNs Dispense Birth Control — October 8, 2012
The Iranian Regime Is in Trouble — October 3, 2012
Will Iran Close the Strait of Hormuz? — October 2, 2012
Would Iran Turn to Terror? — October 2, 2012
How Would Iran Fight Back? — October 1, 2012
Americans Dying Twice as Fast as French from Treatable Conditions — September 30, 2012
TSA Procedures Need to Be Remade from Scratch — September 28, 2012
Smart Sanctions — September 25, 2012
Do Targeted Killings Work? — September 24, 2012
Preserving Access and Quality in an Era of Rising University Tuition Fees — September 24, 2012
Soda 'Ban' May Actually Increase Freedom of Choice — September 21, 2012
Farsighted Leadership in a Shortsighted World: Looking Beyond the 2012 U.S. Election — September 21, 2012
A Year After Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell — September 20, 2012
Panetta Walks Fine Line During China Visit — September 19, 2012
By Fearing Rise of al Qaeda in Syria, U.S. Ignores Greater Threat: Inaction — September 19, 2012
Security Strategies for U.S. Diplomatic Compounds — September 19, 2012
Can Improving the Options Improve Our Choices and Outcomes? — September 18, 2012
New York City Is Right to Treat Soda Like 'Demon Rum' — September 14, 2012
Book Review: 'Notes on a Century: Reflections of a Middle East Historian' by Bernard Lewis — September 14, 2012
The Death of a 'Butterfly' in Kabul — September 13, 2012
Libya's Downward Spiral — September 13, 2012
How Might the Federal Government React if States Legalize Marijuana? — September 13, 2012
Violence in Libya Leaves Unanswered Questions — September 12, 2012
Consider the Evidence — September 11, 2012
How to Tackle Iran — September 6, 2012
Afghan Training Violence: Repairing the Vetting Process Is Key — September 6, 2012
Will China's Nationalism Come Back to Bite Leaders? — September 5, 2012
Supporting Comprehensive Health Care for Women Makes Dollars, and Sense — September 5, 2012
How China Sees America — September 1, 2012
What Will Change Most About Our Routine Physicals Over the Next Decade? — August 31, 2012
Parents: That Summer Job Could Be Teaching Your Youngster to Smoke — August 30, 2012
Concerns Over Protecting Israel's Credibility May Heighten Odds of Iran War — August 29, 2012
Has the Gulf Coast Learned Katrina's Lessons in Time for Isaac? — August 28, 2012
Taking Syria Seriously — August 25, 2012
A Year After the Fall of Tripoli, Libya Still Fragile — August 23, 2012
The Virtues of a '9 to 5' Job — August 23, 2012
Gate Crashing the Opposition: Why Washington Should Leave Regime Change to the Iranians — August 22, 2012
Drone Strikes Keep Pressure on al-Qaida — August 18, 2012
What Pussy Riot Teaches Us — August 18, 2012
Abandoning the Euro Would Devastate Greece — August 17, 2012
School Principals Respond to Performance-Based Evaluation System — August 15, 2012
Conflict with China: What It Would Look Like, How to Avoid It — August 14, 2012
Changing of the Guard in Egypt — August 14, 2012
Beijing Unflustered by Cool Ties With Seoul — August 14, 2012
America and India: Growing Partners in Afghanistan — August 10, 2012
Four Years on, Hard Feelings Linger Between Russia and Georgia — August 9, 2012
'Socialized' or Not, We Can Learn from the VA — August 8, 2012
Victims of Terrorism-by-Mistaken-Identity — August 8, 2012
Step Up Opposition Support — August 8, 2012
The Right Way to Help Syria's Rebels — August 8, 2012
Fiasco in the Levant — August 8, 2012
Syrian Scenarios — August 7, 2012
Lessons of 1st Carmageddon in L.A. — by the Numbers — August 2, 2012
What It Would Take to Intervene in Syria — July 27, 2012
Will More Employers Drop Coverage Under the ACA? Don't Bet on It — July 27, 2012
Bedside Manners: Obesity Is Not All Your Fault — July 27, 2012
Al Qaeda's War for Syria — July 27, 2012
Syria's Chemical Weapons, and Beyond — July 25, 2012
Drawing Right Lessons from the Olympic Security Debacle — July 25, 2012
The Olympics and Terrorism: Why the Games Remain an Appealing Target — July 25, 2012
Auditing U.S. Security Force and Economic Assistance Spending in Iraq — July 19, 2012
How Does Arab Spring Compare to Third Wave Transitions? — July 18, 2012
North Korean Defense Chief's Retirement Has Hallmarks of Purge — July 17, 2012
PIP Mandate Keeps Michigan's Auto Premiums High — July 17, 2012
Important Facts About Marijuana Legalization — July 12, 2012
Getting in the Access Loop: Mentorship for Publishing African Health Research — July 12, 2012
The Turkish-Iranian Alliance That Wasn't — July 11, 2012
Strengthen the Bond — July 11, 2012
Revisiting 100% Inspection — July 6, 2012
Pro-Growth Austerity — July 2, 2012
Assessing the Iranian Sanctions — July 2, 2012
Time to Focus on Healthcare Costs — June 29, 2012
Why Aren't Americans Listening to Disaster Preparedness Messages? — June 29, 2012
Time to Shift Talk to Health Care Costs — June 28, 2012
Gulf States Among Top in New HIV, AIDS Cases — June 27, 2012
Egypt’s New President Has the Mandate—What about the Power? — June 25, 2012
Children Left Behind with Brown's Cuts to Programs — June 24, 2012
The Egyptian Military Wins Again — June 22, 2012
Be Hungry or Be Sick? Proposed Medi-Cal Co-Pay Could Force the Choice for Many — June 20, 2012
Debating Hillary — June 20, 2012
Putin's Waiting Game — June 19, 2012
The Case for a Cyber-Security Safety Board: A Global View on Risk — June 18, 2012
Preventing Military Suicides Is a Nationwide Effort — June 14, 2012
Unraveling the IT Productivity Paradox—Lessons for Health Care — June 14, 2012
We Need to Know What Physicians Are Thinking — June 14, 2012
Getting the Threat Right — June 12, 2012
Bloomberg Right That Portion Control Works — June 10, 2012
Setting International Norms on Cyberwar Might Beat a Treaty — June 8, 2012
Repatriating Part of Saddam Statue Could Promote Democracy — June 7, 2012
Getting Over the Privacy Hurdle to Mileage-Based Road Fees — June 6, 2012
Anatomy of a War Game — June 6, 2012
The Inequality Debate — June 4, 2012
Prescription Drug Shortages: Reconsidering the Role of Medicare Payment Policies — May 29, 2012
Okinawa Remains an Intractable Thorn for US and Japan — May 25, 2012
Three Challenges Still Await NATO — May 24, 2012
Medical Records Immune to Tornado in Joplin, Mo. — May 23, 2012
DoD Renewable Fuels Investment Premature — May 23, 2012
What's on the Menu? A Status Quo That Needs to Change — May 23, 2012
Iran's Buying Time—and That's Fine — May 22, 2012