RAND: Investment in People and Ideas - Featured Research

Al Qaeda's Efforts to Recruit Homegrown Jihadists in America Remain Largely Ineffective

2011-08-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

Despite al Qaeda's increasing use of the Internet to attempt to radicalize and recruit homegrown terrorists in the United States, the turnout has been tiny and mostly inept.

RAND Book Provides Critical Review of U.S. Actions Since 9/11; Recommends Future Anti-Terror Path

2011-07-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

A new collection of essays by experts from the RAND Corporation examines America in the decade since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, focusing a critical eye on the nation's actions since the attacks and outlining changes in strategy needed to improve efforts against jihadist groups.

How Does Investment in Highway Infrastructure Affect the Economy?

2011-05-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

To inform debate on a new transportation bill being considered, an analysis of literature on the effects of highway infrastructure spending on the economy offers principles for reforming federal policy and programs, as well as ideas for future research.

Attention to Societal Priorities Can Help Guide Nuclear Waste Management Policy

2010-11-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

To break the impasse over how to deal with spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants policymakers should focus on how various waste management strategies address societal priorities related to nuclear energy.

Legalizing Marijuana in CA Will Not Dramatically Reduce Mexican Drug Trafficking Revenues

2010-10-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

The only scenario where marijuana legalization in California could substantially reduce the revenue of the drug trafficking organizations is if high-potency, California-produced marijuana is smuggled to other U.S. states at prices that are lower than those of current Mexican supplies.

DNA as Part of Identity Management for the Department of Defense

2010-07-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Some view DNA as a useful way for the U.S. Department of Defense to keep track of a large and ever-growing number of people as it executes its mission. However, serious questions remain about the technical requirements, policy and legal ramifications, and costs and benefits of this tool compared with other biometrics.

Legalizing Marijuana in California Would Sharply Lower the Price of the Drug

2010-07-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Legalizing the production and distribution of marijuana in California could cut the price of the drug by as much as 80 percent and increase consumption. While the state has estimated taxing legal marijuana could raise more than $1 billion in revenue, this could be dramatically higher or lower based on a number of factors.

Counterinsurgency in Pakistan

2010-06-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

The rising number of terrorist plots in the United States with links to Pakistan—most recently the failed car-bombing in New York City—is partly a result of an unsuccessful strategy by Pakistan and the U.S. to weaken the range of militant groups operating in Pakistan.

Building Security in the Persian Gulf

2010-06-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

The U.S. must determine how best to promote long-term security and stability in the Persian Gulf region while seeking to reduce the risks and costs imposed by its role as a permanent regional power—particularly vis-à-vis Iraq's future, the role of Iran, asymmetric threats, regional tensions, and the roles of other external actors.

The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in HIV Prevention and Care in Central America

2010-06-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Faith-based organizations such as churches and religious relief and development groups can play an important role in the response to HIV and AIDS in Central America, despite the fact that many do not support certain prevention measures such as condoms.

Would-Be Warriors: Incidents of Jihadist Terrorist Radicalization in the United States Since September 11, 2001

2010-05-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Effective intelligence gathering and a Muslim community unsympathetic to calls to violence have discouraged homegrown jihadist terrorism in the U.S. While there was a spike in domestic terrorism in 2009, the perpetrators were mostly individuals who recruited themselves into the role of terrorists.

Enforcing Immigration Law at the State and Local Levels: A Public Policy Dilemma

2010-04-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Encouraging state and local law enforcement agencies to help enforce federal immigration laws could help identify out-of-status immigrants eligible for deportation, but these efforts come with concerns about the potential for racial profiling, strained community relations, and improper resource allocation.

Reauthorizing No Child Left Behind: Facts and Recommendations

2010-04-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Congress and the Obama administration should use the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to promote more consistent and rigorous academic standards across states, as well as more consistent and relevant teacher qualification requirements.

The Effects of Political Polarization on America

2010-03-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

The American political climate has become increasingly polarized since the 1970s, and the effects on political discourse and policymaking are clear: There is less room for deliberation between the two parties, and public policy decisionmaking is increasingly driven more by ideology than by objective analysis.

Understanding the Role of Deterrence in Counterterrorism Security

2009-12-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Deterrence is a critical feature of cost-effective counterterrorism efforts, but it is not well understood or measured. This simple framework for evaluating the relative value of deterrent measures draws on a growing literature on the role of deterrence in counterterrorism strategy and terrorist decisionmaking.

World Economic Recession Unlikely to Have Lasting Geopolitical Consequences

2009-07-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Will the current global economic recession have long-term geopolitical implications? Assuming that economic recovery begins in the first half of 2010, lasting structural alterations in the international system — a substantial change in U.S.-China relations, for example — are unlikely. This is because economic performance is only one of many geopolitical elements that shape countries' strategic intent and core external policies.

Assessment Framework Can Help Security Planners Decide Which Hypothetical Threats To Worry About

2009-06-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Concerns about the panpoply of possible terrorist attacks are central to the design of security efforts to protect both individual targets and the nation overall. Two questions can be posed to assess the novelty and ease of execution of emerging threats, allowing security planners to both learn from new threats and prioritize.

Transportation Challenges for the New Administration: Perspectives of Past Transportation Secretaries

2009-05-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Shortly after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, RAND hosted a panel discussion with three former U.S. secretaries of transportation. These conference proceedings summarize their comments on which issues should be among the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) top priorities, DOT funding and appropriation, earmarking and transparency in the transportation funding process, and the federal role in transportation policy.

U.S.-Mexico Strategic Partnership Needed to Help Mexico Improve Its Security Institutions

2009-04-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

The United States should forge a strategic partnership with Mexico that emphasizes reform and long-term institution building as a way to battle the ongoing drug war and other security challenges that face Mexico.

What the Policy Community Should Know About Corporate Compliance, Ethics, and Misdeeds

2009-04-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Improving corporate compliance, ethics, and oversight has been a significant policy goal for the U.S. government for decades, and made more salient by the collapse of financial markets in late 2008. On March 5, 2009, RAND convened a conference in Washington, D.C., on the role and perspectives of corporate chief ethics and compliance officers in the detection and prevention of corporate misdeeds.