The RAND Blog

q&a

Building Better Government Acquisition Programs: Q&A with William Shelton

In the U.S. Air Force, William Shelton managed hundreds of millions of dollars in acquisition programs. He retired as a colonel then joined RAND as an engineer. One of his recent projects provided the U.S. Space Force with a new approach to acquisition, designed around its unique mission.

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Complex—but Promising—Prospects as Finland and Sweden Mull NATO Membership

After decades of military neutrality between NATO and Russia, recent events saw a potential sea-change in how Finland and Sweden consider their role with the NATO alliance. NATO leadership could start planning now so that if Sweden and Finland make the jump to joining the alliance, they can be welcomed in quickly.

Gene Germanovich @geneDC

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Military Yet to Fully Leverage Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing may very well become a critical component of the Defense Department supply chain, but challenges ranging from decentralized approaches among the various services, a lack of standards, limited awareness and know-how among military workforce and leadership, and intellectual property issues could prevent the Pentagon from realizing its potential.

Samantha McBirney, Phillip Burton

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Ensuring Russia's War with Ukraine Doesn't Morph into Direct Conflict with NATO

Russia has launched an unprecedented act of aggression against Ukraine. The United States and its allies must respond forcefully. But as they do, they should take into account the possibility of triggering a spiral of escalation that could lead to the only outcome worse than the invasion of Ukraine itself: a hot war between Russia and NATO.

Samuel Charap @scharap

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State of the Union 2022: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and Domestic Policy

In his first State of the Union address, President Joe Biden rebuked Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, aimed to turn a page on the pandemic, and covered a wide range of domestic issues, including mental health care, prescription drug prices, and supporting veterans.

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The Digital Skills Gap: What Workers Need for the Jobs of the Future

Business leaders have warned for years that what they see on job applications does not match what they need in new employees. There are not enough workers with the right digital skills. And as the world economy struggles to its feet after COVID-19, that skills gap threatens to keep pushing it down.

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What Kind of Resistance Can Ukraine Mount?

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered general mobilization, and Ukrainians are already engaging in irregular warfare and preparing for a prolonged resistance. What might a comprehensive Ukrainian resistance entail? What is the potential effectiveness, and what are the risks? What support could the international community provide?

Stephen J. Flanagan, Marta Kepe @martakepe

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Continuity of Government in Ukraine

On February 23 Russia launched a war on Ukraine. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky and its parliament might accelerate steps to ensure the continuity of government, a need made more urgent because of the risk that Kyiv could soon fall.

William Courtney @courtneywmh, Khrystyna Holynska

blog

Responding to Russia, Sex Trafficking, Anti-Bias Education: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the false choice between responding to Russia or deterring China, how substance use and sex trafficking are connected, providing anti-bias education in U.S. schools, and more.

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The Lives of Veterans Experiencing Homelessness

The United States pledged in 2009 to end veteran homelessness. The numbers have fallen by nearly half since then, but there are still more than 37,000 veterans living in their cars, in temporary shelters, or in makeshift camps. Researchers followed 26 of them for one year to see how they live and what keeps them on the streets.

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A Timely Opportunity for the U.S. Coast Guard to Teach a Man to Protect His Fish

The U.S. Coast Guard has made strong statements suggesting it would be increasing its effort to deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity. As it does so, the Coast Guard might also consider enhancing its role as a trainer of other nations.

Katherine Anania

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A Test of How Effective Sanctions Are

The threat of severe sanctions failed to stop a Russian invasion of Ukraine. But if and when harsher economic punishment is handed down to Moscow, what effect might it have?

John V. Parachini @JohnParachini

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Why Unemployed Men with Criminal Records Could Be Key to Solving the U.S. Labor Shortage

American employers are panicked about the lack of willing workers. They shouldn't be. There are plenty of Americans who want to work. If you're an employer, you may be wondering where all these potential employees are hiding. They aren't hiding—they've been applying to your job openings, and you've been screening them out.

Shawn D. Bushway @BushwayShawn, Jeffrey B. Wenger

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The False Choice Between China and Russia

Some China hawks have argued that any U.S. response to Russia would detract from America's ability to deter China. But it's a mistake to think of China and Russia as independent problems.

Raphael S. Cohen

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Why China Is Intensifying Its Military Flights Against Taiwan

On January 23, China repeated its familiar pattern of sending warplanes into Taiwan's airspace. This activity, which has continued in February, rarely has a clear single driver. Instead, there are several factors that should always be considered.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman