Longer-Range Studies

Much of the policy analysis that RAND has published over the years might literally qualify as “futures” studies. However, most of that work has been aimed at the relatively near future – 1 to 5 years out. In addition to that, quite a number of studies have been done that looked at least 10 years, and as many as several decades into the future. It is that work that is featured here.

Specific Topics:

There are several areas in which RAND has done a number of related studies that specifically addressed the longer-range future.

• Climate change: A good deal of the recent Pardee Center work has centered on various aspects of climate change. The Center has worked with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 (with Center director Rob Lempert sharing in that honor).
• Netherlands storm-surge barrier: In the mid-1970s RAND led the analysis of alternative storm surge barriers for the Netherlands, leading up to the alternative that has since been implemented. Rand has also done additional studies of the wider problem of water management in the Netherlands.
• Energy
• Macroeconomics

Specific Time Horizons

In addtion to the three areas of concentration, RAND has done a wide variety of studies dealing with the longer-range future that can be roughly grouped into the following time periods:

• 10-19 years
• 20-29 years
• 30-49 years
• 50 or more years
• the indefinite future