RAND Corporation Provides Objective Research Services and Public Policy Analysis

  • Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar shake hands before the start of G20 foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, India, March 2, 2023, photo by Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters
    India

    Commentary

    India Can Bridge the U.S.-Russia Divide over Ukraine

    No country is as well positioned as India to mediate between Russia and the United States, and bring the Ukraine conflict to an end. Even limited success in ending the war will bolster India's credentials as an emerging great power, capable of accomplishing remarkable things that others cannot.

  • Police officers escort five people detained in the kidnapping of four Americans in the city of Matamoros, in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, March 10, 2023, photo by Attorney General of the State of Tamaulipas (FGJ)/Handout via Reuters
    Mexico

    Commentary

    Should Mexico's Drug Cartels Be Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations?

    While the outcry over the kidnapping and murder of U.S. citizens by members of the Gulf Cartel in Mexico is understandable, stridency should not preclude strategic assessment. America's problem with drug trafficking is not the lack of statutes, but the magnitude of the problem.

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd L), Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (L), and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov (2nd R) watch the Zapad-2017 war games held by Russian and Belarussian servicemen, in the Leningrad region, Russia, September 18, 2017, photo by Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters
    Russia

    Report

    Understanding the Russian General Staff

    The Russian General Staff is unlike any single organization in the U.S. military or government. Understanding its role and capacity to influence national security decisionmaking is important. Two case studies—Russia's 2014 war in Ukraine and 2015 intervention in Syria—observe the responsibilities and authorities of the General Staff in practice.

  • Jars containing rare earth minerals produced by Australia's Lynas Corp from its Mount Weld operations near Laverton, Australia, August 23, 2019, photo by Melanie Burton/Reuters
    Environmental and Natural Resource Management

    Essay

    The Time to Prevent Shortfalls in Critical Materials Is Now

    China's domination of the rare earth market is a matter of economic and national security concern. Existing plans to diversify the market and help the United States break its reliance on China likely don't go far enough or fast enough, and the clock is running.

  • Residents flee from the town of Irpin, Ukraine, after heavy shelling by Russia destroyed the only escape route used by locals, March 6, 2022, photo by Carlos Barria/Reuters

    Content

    Russia's War in Ukraine: Insights from RAND

    A vast body of previously published RAND research—as well as real-time insights from RAND experts—sheds light on important issues related to Russia's attack against Ukraine. These include Russia's strategy and military capabilities, the Ukrainian resistance, and how to address the refugee crisis.

  • Truth Decay title on public space with people and information

    Project

    Countering Truth Decay

    “Truth Decay,” the diminishing role of facts in public life, poses a threat to evidence-based policymaking and to American democracy. RAND is studying this phenomenon to learn more about its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.

  • An Air Force pararescue jump expert loads a simulated injured survivor into Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside vehicle at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, May, 2021, photo courtesy of Kitty Hawk

    Commentary

    Venture Capital Gives America a Strategic Edge in the Age of Technology Wars

    U.S. early-stage hardware startups are seriously disadvantaged by a persistent lack of financing. Congress authorized the U.S. Department of Defense to spend $75 million to invest in dual-use hardware startups. But the Pentagon has proven reticent to embrace a venture capital–style approach, even though research has demonstrated it is optimal for driving innovation.

  • Maj. Laura Johnson, a mental health flight commander, speaks to an Airman in her office on June 10, 2021, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, photo by Heather Heiney/U.S. Air Force

    Report

    Behavioral Health Care Following the Onset of the Pandemic

    In what ways did the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic change how behavioral health care was delivered to service members with PTSD, depression, or substance use disorder?

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RAND research is conducted by three divisions that address social and economic policy issues, four federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), and by RAND's wholly owned subsidiaries, RAND Europe and RAND Australia.