The RAND Blog

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How One French Director Brought the Vietnam War Home for Americans

In 1967, the first major documentary about the Vietnam war appeared as a CBS News Special Report featuring a film by French director Pierre Schoendoerffer. It introduced key features of the war told through the filming of an American platoon, and provided texture and background so a viewer could gain a sense of what was happening there.

James T. Quinlivan

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Why Japan Needs Long-Range Strike Capabilities

Japan's pacifist constitution allows it to exercise force only when its survival is threatened and there are no other means to repel the attack. But North Korea's advancing military capabilities have drastically changed the threat environment. Japan no longer has the luxury to be complacent about its security threats.

Jeffrey W. Hornung

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Why the Iran Nuclear Deal Benefits the U.S.

The Iran deal has stretched the time needed to produce a nuclear weapon from three to at least 12 months and has established the strongest inspections system ever negotiated. Walking away from the agreement now will only isolate the U.S. and provide Iran an easy excuse to join North Korea on the road toward nuclear weapons.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Suzanne DiMaggio

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Reauthorizing DHS: Improving Operational Control

One area of focus in the debate on reauthorizing the Department of Homeland Security should be its role in directing homeland security operations. The debate should include a comprehensive discussion of the future role for the department headquarters.

Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

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Japan's Election Matters for U.S. Interests

What happens in Japan's election carries enormous consequence for the United States and its interests in the region. U.S. Asia policy begins and ends with America's critical alliance with Japan.

Jeffrey W. Hornung

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Reauthorizing DHS: The Case for Reauthorization

Reauthorization of the Department of Homeland Security is vital to clarifying responsibilities and setting expectations for the continued evolution of the department. Policymakers might also wish to conduct an external review, which could help inform a broader future reform bill.

Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

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Keeping Americans on the Job in a Changing Economy

Despite calls to bring back U.S. coal mines and factories, the real issue isn't a lack of family-sustaining jobs, it's a mismatch between workers and available jobs.

Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

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Equifax and the Data-Breach Era

The personal and financial data of almost 146 million U.S. consumers has been compromised by the Equifax breach, the latest in a long line of high-profile hacks. Do consumers worry enough about such breaches? And what options are available to Congress?

Lillian Ablon, Sina Beaghley

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What Does the 19th Party Congress Mean for the PLA?

The People's Liberation Army has a lot at stake in China's Communist Party Congress. In addition to changes in military leadership, reports issued at a Party Congress invariably contain directives to the military that can add impetus to ongoing initiatives.

Timothy R. Heath

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A Glass Half Empty? Taking Stock of Hezbollah's Losses in Syria

Hezbollah has gained valuable combat experience in Syria, but the cost of that experience may not outweigh the losses in troops, the damage to its image and the need to cede some of its autonomy to Iran and the Assad regime. The longer the war drags on, the more apparent these losses will become.

Colin P. Clarke

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Big Data, Big Questions

RAND-Lex is a computer program that can scan millions of lines of text and identify what people are talking about, how they fit into communities, and how they see the world. The program has shed light on how terrorists communicate, how the American public thinks about health, and more.

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China's Field of Dreams in Pakistan

China is four years into joint planning and construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a vast economic development package. Beneath the surface, Beijing is testing a new "build it and they will come" model for delivering economic development and foreign aid.

Rafiq Dossani, Niels Erich

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Punting on the Iran Nuclear Deal

President Trump has signaled that he is likely to decline to certify that Iran is adhering to its nuclear deal commitments. The alternatives to the agreement are clear: Iran will develop nuclear weapons, the U.S. will go to war to prevent this, or both.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

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Can Open Science Help to Make Research More Accessible?

The leading principle of open science is that anyone, whether they are part of the research community or the public, should be able to access scientific knowledge. Free circulation of knowledge, the sharing of research results, and transparency of methodology are core tenets of the scientific method.

Anna Knack, Elta Smith, et al.

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How Salafism's Rise Threatens Gaza

The rise of hardline Salafism is a worrisome trend in Gaza, where Salafists could surpass Hamas as the most dangerous threat to other Palestinians and the state of Israel. Such a result could signal the sabotage of yet another chance for progress in one of the world's longest-running conflicts.

Colin P. Clarke