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  • Riflemen compete in the Lithuanian Best Infantry Squad Competition at Rukla Training Area, Lithuania, August 24, 2017, photo by Lithuanian Land Forces
    Major Combat Operations

    Research Brief

    Why Understanding 'Will to Fight' Is Crucial

    Arguably, will to fight is the most important factor in war. The best technology in the world is useless without the force of will to use it and to keep using it even as casualties mount and unexpected calamities arise. Ignoring will to fight can contribute to tactical or even strategic defeat.

  • A shadow of a hand holding a gun, photo by ugurhan/Getty Images
    Crime and Violence Prevention

    Commentary

    'Stand Your Ground' Laws May Be Causing More Harm Than Good

    Americans have debated whether “stand your ground” laws or gun-free zones make us safer or less safe for decades. These are debates about factual matters that are, in principle, knowable. Without research on these and other topics, bad laws will inadvertently be passed or retained.

  • A teacher pointing to a textbook helping a student, photo by monkeybusinessimages/Getty Images
    Education Curriculum

    Report

    Teachers Need Access to High-Quality Materials

    When asked about their instructional materials, U.S. mathematics teachers were more likely to report regular use of at least one high-quality material compared to English-language arts teachers, although high school teachers did so less than their elementary or middle school counterparts. More open-access online materials could help.

  • A mental health professional takes notes while talking with a soldier, photo by asiseeit/Getty Images
    Mental Health Treatment

    Research Brief

    Quality Matters in Mental Health Care for Veterans

    High-quality mental health care is treatment that has been proven effective and is safe, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. Veterans who receive such care are much more likely to improve and recover. Ensuring that they get the care they need also helps their families.

  • A policeman talks to a distressed person on the street, photo by KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty Images

    Report

    How Law Enforcement Can Fight the Opioid Crisis

    Law enforcement has a unique role in addressing the opioid crisis because it interacts with those affected by it on a day-to-day basis. Promising efforts include connecting people with opioid use disorder to treatment, collaborating to achieve community buy-in, and protecting officers on the front lines.

  • Farm workers pick tomatoes in the countryside near the town of Foggia, southern Italy, September 24, 2009, photo by Tony Gentile/Reuters

    Commentary

    Saving Farmworkers from Slavery-Like Conditions, Field by Field

    Those at the bottom of the European agricultural supply chain are vulnerable to abuse. The same was true in the tomato fields of Florida until recently. The solution developed there may offer a roadmap for doing right by workers in Europe.

  • Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front fighters carry weapons on the back of pick-up trucks in Arsal, eastern Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, December 1, 2015, photo by Stringer/Reuters

    Commentary

    Al Qaeda Is Ready to Attack You Again

    As al Qaeda continues to undergo change as a global organization, one of the most pressing questions for policymakers and government officials is to what extent the group is still focused on attacking the West. Does the absence of spectacular attacks attributed to al Qaeda during this phase represent a lack of capability or merely a shift in priorities?

  • Soldiers represent their nation's flags during the opening ceremony of Saber Strike 2015 held in Pabrade, Lithuania, June 8, 2015, photo by Sgt. James Avery/U.S. Army

    Report

    How Willing Are NATO Members to Defend Their Baltic Allies?

    What factors would make NATO allies more or less likely to respond to a Russian attack? And what can be done to reduce their vulnerability to Russian influence and to increase alliance cohesion?

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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.