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Elizabeth M. Bartels

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Assistant Policy Researcher; Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Washington Office

Education

M.S. in political science, MIT; B.A. in political science, University of Chicago

Overview

Elizabeth (Ellie) Bartels is a doctoral candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. She has an M.S. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.A. in political science with a minor in Near Eastern languages and civilization from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining Pardee RAND, she was a senior associate at Caerus Associates, where she led the development and testing of an analytical framework for analyzing and planning urban operations for the U.S. Department of Defense. She previously worked as a research analyst at the National Defense University’s gaming center, where she designed educational and analytical games for military schoolhouses, U.S. interagency initiatives, and partner-nation militaries. Her research interests include game design and analysis, irregular warfare, and Middle East politics.

Research Focus

Commentary

  • Smoke trails are seen as rockets are launched towards Israel from the northern Gaza Strip July 12, 2014

    Is Iron Dome a Poisoned Chalice? Strategic Risks from Tactical Success

    While Iron Dome's past success in defending Israel makes it a tempting solution to future challenges, it does have shortcomings. This becomes even more serious when considering using the system in Korea, where the threat posed is substantially greater, and the targeted terrain substantially harder to defend.

    Nov 29, 2017 The Strategy Bridge

  • Wargaming at the Naval Postgraduate School

    Adding Shots on Target: Wargaming Beyond the Game

    Figuring out what the future may look like—and what concepts and technology we should invest in now to prepare—is hard. How can the wargaming community build a cycle of research to help understand what these paths might be?

    Oct 9, 2017 War on the Rocks

  • Members of the 183d Air Operations Group conduct simulated battle operations during exercise Virtual Flag, December 2015

    Getting the Most Out of Your Wargame: Practical Advice for Decisionmakers

    While some famous historical cases offer a compelling narrative of what wargames can be at their best and worst, they cannot illustrate the full range of contemporary wargaming that leaders should strive to achieve. A better understanding of how wargames can be helpful — or how they can backfire — is critical.

    Jan 26, 2016 War on the Rocks

Publications

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza

    This brief summarizes a RAND report that explores lessons that the U.S. Army and the Joint force can draw from Israel's military operations in Gaza from 2009 to 2014 and how Israel adapted to hybrid adversaries in complex urban terrain.

    Oct 18, 2017

  • An Israeli tank drives near the border as it returns to Israel from Gaza, August 3, 2014

    Report

    From Cast Lead to Protective Edge: Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza

    This report describes how the Israel Defense Force fought an adaptive hybrid adversary in a dense urban setting under intense public scrutiny during its wars in Gaza and draws lessons from the Israeli experience for the U.S. Army and the joint force.

    Jul 26, 2017