...To Form a More Perfect Union

The history of America is marked not only by unprecedented opportunity but also in each generation by the need to choose and, in doing so, to exercise responsibility.

Most Americans agree that we share responsibility for ensuring the well-being of our society. But we don't all agree about who should carry out this function, who should pay for it, and how it should be done.

Throughout our history, we have tried to strike the right balance of public and private responsibility -- a political decision, shaped by preferences that citizens reveal in the polling booth and in day-to-day participation in public life.

As the century draws to a close, emphasis in many areas is being placed on market solutions and individual choice. Meanwhile, old distinctions between government and private-sector action are being blurred by new partnerships, new ways of doing the public business in our society:

RAND does not judge whether these or any other ideas are right for America; that is as much a matter of values as it is of facts and analyses. What RAND can do is assess the effect of ideas and initiatives, whatever their political roots.

In a wide range of areas of central concern to America, RAND has both the substantive knowledge and the tools to provide such assessments:

• We've evaluated complex programs, ranging from health insurance co-payments to housing assistance and mandatory sentencing guidelines. We've studied the nature of the wage gap and the effect on wages of investing in schooling.
• We're evaluating welfare reform at both the state and local levels. We're examining how incentives shape the decisions individuals make -- in retirement benefits, workers' compensation, taxation, child care, and family planning.
• We're looking at how managed health care affects the quality of health provided to Americans.
• We're examining civil procedure reform and dispute resolution techniques with an eye toward increasing the efficiency of the legal system and reducing the financial and institutional burden of litigation.
• We're examining how proposed changes in social security will affect the distribution of wealth across our population.
• And we're exploring the most important policy questions associated with biotechnology and bioengineering, the impact of the digital revolution, and new roles and partnerships for different levels of government, for communities, and for the private sector.

The models we've developed let us explore the outcomes not only of existing programs but of variations and alternatives as well. We also know how to put the pieces together -- to show how a portfolio of policies might affect the outcomes sought by the nation's policymakers and by private firms -- in terms of costs, labor market participation, health, educational achievement, and competitiveness in the global marketplace. And as we assemble the pieces to create the whole picture, we capture both the complexities of the issues and the key uncertainties that attend even the best-reasoned forecasts.

At RAND, we believe it is our responsibility to help make democratic decisions be smart decisions. With your support, we will pursue that goal with energy, dedication, and clear-sighted analysis.

What Others Have To Say

Arthur Miller

Bruce Bromley Professor of Law, Harvard University
 

"Thomas Jefferson's belief in the capacity of the people to govern themselves was based on the assumption that they would be well informed. RAND plays a significant part in providing the public and its representatives with timely and well-researched information on important issues confronting our society."