The RAND Blog

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From Florida's Farm Fields, Lessons for #MeToo and Other Movements

Organizers who want to bring about social change would do well to look to Florida farmworkers. They took on the low wages, physical abuse, and vulnerability that have long characterized agricultural labor in the United States—and won, changing the culture for the better.

Susan L. Marquis

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Millennials Worry Less About National Security Than Baby Boomers Do—for Now

Millennials are not as concerned as baby boomers are about national security. But these attitudes may be more about being young than being millennials.

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Why This Wasn't Kim's Father's—or Grandfather's—Summit

This is the third time the United States and North Korea have started down a path toward denuclearization and normalization of relations. The difference now is that Trump and Kim have committed themselves earlier on in the process and more publicly than their predecessors did.

James Dobbins

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Why Russia Should Not Rejoin the G7

Even were it to disgorge the parts of Ukraine that it seized in 2014, Russia still would not qualify for reentry into the G8. An aspirational case for Russian membership might be made, but only if Russia's leadership aspires to democratic government and an open free market economy. At the moment there is no sign of such an aspiration.

James Dobbins

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Consider The E-Tool

We generally trust the entrenchment tool. In a peacetime hike, we might only need a polycarbonate trowel, but in a future war, we might really need full-size picks and shovels. However ingeniously designed, two pounds of metal origami cannot replace a full-size pick and a shovel.

James T. Quinlivan

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Difficulties Integrating North Korean Defectors Suggest Challenges in Reunifying Korea

Despite expansive government aid, North Korean defectors in South Korea remain a nation within a nation, co-existent yet separate. If South Korea cannot fully adopt and assimilate 30,805 North Korea defectors, how will South Korea ever embrace roughly 25 million North Koreans in the event of reunification?

Sebastian Joon Bae

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Kim-Trump Summit Rife with Opportunity for U.S.

The growing costs of planning for Korean military contingencies place a burden on U.S. defense resources. If Tuesday's summit becomes a step toward eventual guarantees against aggression, the U.S. could remove a major Korean conflict from the top rungs of its defense planning roster, freeing resources for other worries.

Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr

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FEMA's Transformation

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's strategic plan shows several shifts in U.S. disaster relief policy. Redirecting longer-term recovery operations to state and local authorities would allow FEMA to concentrate its assets on the catastrophic disasters it is uniquely designed to handle.

Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

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Six Lessons for Today from Past Summits

To prepare for possible meetings with his North Korean and Russian counterparts, President Trump can learn lessons from decades of high-profile summits between U.S. presidents and Kremlin leaders.

William Courtney @courtneywmh, Michael Haltzel

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How Do You Define Terrorism?

What constitutes 'terrorism' remains contested. Moreover, should groups who incite hatred be held responsible for attacks and labelled as terrorists even if they don't directly participate in the violence?

Antonia Ward

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North Korea Is Not Like Libya

The prospect of a U.S.-North Korea summit has led to analogies between the present case and that of Libya, which abandoned its longstanding quest to develop nuclear weapons in 2003. But a better precedent would be the 2015 deal that froze Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Karl P. Mueller

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Assessing Transatlantic Fallout After the U.S. Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal

The U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has set off another round of reflection on the state and future of the transatlantic alliance. Though this dispute may not in itself lead to a full breach in the transatlantic relationship, it joins a growing list of sharp disagreements impacting U.S. alliances.

James Hoobler

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Dockless Bikes Provide Urban Challenges, but China's Experience Shows They Can Work

By encouraging more people to cycle, bike-sharing platforms could provide many potential benefits through reduced congestion, reduced air pollution, and health benefits. But there are also challenges, including pressures on existing cycling infrastructure and the potential for theft and vandalism.

Julian Glenesk

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Advertising and Teens in the Era of the 'Blackout Brownie'

Exposure to marijuana advertising may play a significant role in shaping teen attitudes about the drug, and contribute to increased marijuana use and related negative consequences throughout adolescence. Restrictions on marijuana advertising similar to those on alcohol and tobacco would likely help limit its exposure to teens.

Elizabeth J. D'Amico

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Canceled Summit Doesn't Spell End to U.S.-North Korea Nuclear Diplomacy

President Trump canceled his June 12 meeting with Kim Jong-un but left the door open for a future one. Successful diplomacy will require tending and fostering U.S. relations with China, Japan, and South Korea while forging an entirely new relationship with North Korea.

James Dobbins