The RAND Blog

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A Surgical Strike Against North Korea? Not a Viable Option

North Korea's July 4 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit American soil has renewed talk of military intervention. But an effective limited military strike with minimal collateral damage and no escalation simply won't work.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett

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Brexit: So Tell Me What You Want, What You Really Really Want

The 'In/Out' referendum question encouraged the view that Brexit was a binary choice. But how did people understand these two options and their implications? The results of stated preference discrete choice experiments hold the answer.

Jonathan Grant, Charlene Rohr, et al.

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Finding the Common Ground: Building a Brexit Around Trade and Single Market Access

The priority for the UK government during Brexit negotiations should be access to the single market and free trade deals with countries outside the EU. This would build on the common ground felt by the majority of Britons about what they feel are the most valuable aspects of the UK's future relationship with Europe.

Charlene Rohr, Jonathan Grant, et al.

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How Should Water Professionals Invest in Resilience?

Water professionals can think about building resilience as a process of embracing and managing future uncertainty. Rather than trying to predict which problem to plan for, researchers help planners consider a wide range of potential scenarios.

Jordan R. Fischbach

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Chronic Conditions in America: Price and Prevalence

Sixty percent of U.S. adults have at least one chronic condition, and 12 percent have five or more. They account for hundreds of billions of dollars in health care spending every year.

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Navigating the Uncertain Path to Decarbonization

Deep decarbonization can reduce the risk of climate change, and it offers opportunities to reimagine energy, transportation, and infrastructure. But it could also fail in many ways. Diverse, independent actors need a shared understanding of its complexity and deep uncertainty to design a solution to this challenge.

Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert, Horacio R. Trujillo

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Community Hospitals: A Traditional Solution to Help Today's NHS?

Community hospitals could be better integrated into the current healthcare system in England and can play an important role in the middle of the patient journey between home and hospital. If done correctly, community hospitals could be a traditional solution to help address some of the modern day challenges of the NHS.

Emma Pitchforth, Edwin van Teijlingen, et al.

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Ingredients for Health Care Reform

Despite their differences, the Affordable Care Act and the current proposals to replace it take a similar approach to providing health insurance. What might some alternatives look like? And how could they provide coverage to more Americans?

Christine Eibner @Chrissyeibner

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Lessons for First Responders on the Front Lines of Terrorism

Given the persistent risk of terrorist attacks, it is critical to learn from past incidents to prepare for future ones. Medical and nonmedical first responders need more training in basic lifesaving skills. Open communication lines such as a dedicated radio frequency could help responders better coordinate. Disaster drills are also essential.

Mahshid Abir, Christopher Nelson

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Are America's Overseas Security Commitments Worth It?

A growing debate has called into question U.S. international security commitments and whether their economic value outweighs their costs. Research suggests that the magnitude of the benefits could be substantial.

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How the Gulf Row Could Tear Libya Apart Even Further

Since Gadhafi was removed from power, Gulf nations have been vying for position in Libya through proxy forces to influence political outcomes. Libya's rival militias — armed and funded by their respective Gulf sponsors — set the framework for the civil conflict that erupted in 2014 and continues today. Current tensions between Qatar and its neighbors are adding to the instability.

Amanda Kadlec

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Vickers, Crocker, Bergen, and Mudd Headline RAND ISIS Conference

Panelists at a RAND conference on ISIS agreed that efforts to protect the U.S. homeland and conduct campaigns to dismantle extremist groups have had success. But many long-term challenges to the broader world order remain that will require strategic patience.

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How to Harden America's Soft Targets

The U.S. government must choose where to apply limited resources to defend soft targets. But it could expand its information-sharing efforts with other governments and local law enforcement. Broad intelligence sharing and more training could help identify potential attackers before they can execute their plans.

Colin P. Clarke, Chad C. Serena

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Getting the Lead Out of Pittsburgh's Water

Without an aggressive long-term strategy for replacing service lines, and collaboration among the water authority, public officials, and residents, lead in Pittsburgh's water will persist.

Jordan R. Fischbach, Linnea Warren May @LinneaKWMay

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America and the World Are at a Crossroads

Populism is on the march across the globe. Many of the certainties of even the recent past seem much less certain now—including the idea of the United States maintaining a leadership role in the world.

Andrew R. Hoehn