The RAND Blog

commentary

Covert Influence Is the New Money Laundering

Anti-money laundering laws provide lessons for combating covert influence operations, such as Russian meddling in the U.S. election. These laws could be adapted for online media models that do not require users to be paid customers.

Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc

commentary

The Long-Term Budget Shortfall and National Security: A Problem the United States Should Stop Avoiding

Bold promises and even actions that balance the budget for the short term should not mask the fact that the U.S. government has failed to face its long-term budget problems. Without changes, the ability to pay for many functions — including defense — will rely wholly on borrowed money.

Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz

commentary

The Equifax Breach: Yawn, or Yikes?

In cases where personal information is exposed, such as the Equifax data breach, it is critical that consumers take steps to ensure their information is not abused. The simplest and perhaps the most effective way to enhance personal digital security is to protect account credentials using password management software.

Sasha Romanosky

commentary

Why the Fall of the 'Caliphate' in Syria Will Not Ease Western Security Concerns

A Syria and Iraq free of ISIS do not, unfortunately, free the West from the ISIS threat. Instead, ISIS is likely to either disperse, with its followers prepared to carry out a range of further attacks, or attempt to regroup in the fragile states of Africa.

Antonia Ward

commentary

How to Help Syrians — Without Helping Assad

The U.S. and others have a major interest in ending the Syrian civil war, helping the millions of displaced Syrians, and preventing the re-emergence of the Islamic State. But they are naturally reluctant to assist rebuilding a country run by Assad and supported by Russia and Iran. What are their options?

Philip Gordon, James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, et al.

commentary

Terrorism Fatigue

By continually staking claim to big and small terrorist attacks, regardless of target selection or casualty count, ISIS has attempted to instill a sense of omnipresent and unpredictable danger. And in the process, terrorism fatigue may be setting in around the world.

Amarnath Amarasingam, Colin P. Clarke

blog

When RAND Applied Weapons Research to Health Care Delivery

In the 1970s, it was assumed that new physicians wouldn't set up practice in America's small towns. RAND economists used software originally designed to estimate damages from a nuclear bomb to calculate the effects of placing doctors in specific locations.

commentary

New York Terror Attack: Can Vehicle Attacks Be Prevented?

The recent vehicle attack in Manhattan was the deadliest terror attack on New York since 9/11. Preventing every attack is unrealistic, but with increased vigilance, cooperation with law enforcement, and intelligence sharing, citizens can help mitigate the threat of terrorism.

Colin P. Clarke

commentary

Abe's Victory and Constitutional Revision

After Japan's election, observers immediately began speculating about its impact on constitutional reform. While parties in favor of constitutional revision have secured enough seats to pass the legislative hurdle needed to revise Japan's basic law, the road ahead is much more complicated.

Jeffrey W. Hornung, Kenneth M. McElwain

commentary

Killing Iran's Economy Won't Help the U.S.

Iran's economy is likely to be damaged by any new U.S. sanctions, with foreign investment having already slowed in response to President Trump's rhetoric. The biggest losers will not be the Iranian regime but the Iranian people, whose striving the U.S. has long hoped would bring about a less antagonistic Iran.

Alireza Nader

commentary

Candy Out of Sight, Out of Mind

CVS is cutting back on candy at the cash register, making junk food less visible and "healthier" snacks easier to find. Any move that nudges consumers toward healthier choices should be applauded, but CVS could take the lead as a retailer and do away with junk food displays by the cash register altogether.

Deborah A. Cohen

commentary

Military Power Cannot Close the Defense Strategy Gap

As defense debates heat up this season, most of the noise will be around how to use defense investments. But it’s time to consider the radical notion that the best answer to strategic insolvency isn’t budgetary. It’s not even military. It is geopolitical and diplomatic.

Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr

commentary

Reauthorizing DHS: Contemplating Major DHS Organizational Realignments

As Congress considers DHS reauthorization, having clear organizational realignment principles could help assess the degree to which expectations will be met. Those principles could examine whether mission effectiveness would improve and whether implemented changes would introduce new issues.

Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

commentary

The Real Questions We Should Be Asking About Niger

In the wake of the deaths of four U.S. servicemen in Niger, Americans are embroiled in a pointless political squabble. The focus should be on developing a greater understanding of the risks and benefits of U.S. counterterrorism operations abroad.

Philip Mudd, Andrew Liepman

announcement

RAND Is Accepting Applications for Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships

RAND is accepting applications for up to three Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows. The application deadline is January 15, 2018. The program was created to stimulate the development of the next generation of thought leaders on nuclear security.