Commentary and Articles

commentary

Domestic Politics Have Always Affected Hostage Deals
Negotiations in highly charged hostage situations never happen in a politically sterile environment. They threaten the American core principle of personal liberty and have always been domestic political issues.
Aug 14, 2024
commentary

The UK Should Be Careful Not to Hand the Middle East to China
The UK's commitment to its relationship with Oman remains stable but it should not take its position west of India for granted. As the UK turns its gaze to the Indo-Pacific, Beijing is moving to strengthen its relations with Oman and increase its influence in the region.
Aug 13, 2024
commentary

South Korean Nuclear Nonproliferation Pivot Points
The growing North Korean nuclear weapon force has created a pivot point for South Korea, where many are unsure that they can blindly depend on the U.S. nuclear umbrella to deter North Korea. A growing number of South Korean officials are calling for South Korea to build its own nuclear weapons.
Aug 12, 2024
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Building Flood Resilience: A Grand Challenge for U.S. Water Policy
Flooding has become the most expensive and frequent disaster in the United States. Since 2000, flooding events occur almost daily, and the cost of inland flooding alone in 2023 was nearly $200 billion. Managing flood risk requires transformations in land use, regulation, insurance, and financing.
Aug 9, 2024
commentary

Why the Decline of Local Media Could Be a Security Risk
The decline of local media in the United States creates vulnerabilities to adversarial influence. Supporting local journalism is essential for strengthening democracy and ensuring timely detection of security threats.
Aug 8, 2024
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Countering Fentanyl with Diplomacy
The fentanyl epidemic in the United States parallels China's historical opium crisis, which was exacerbated by foreign powers and led to widespread societal damage. Understanding China's past and its current role in fentanyl production could offer valuable insights for combating the ongoing U.S. crisis.
Aug 7, 2024
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Something Is Rotten in the State of Russian Arms Industry
Despite Russia's claims of robust arms production and export capabilities, Moscow faces significant challenges. Declining sales, reliance on outdated weaponry, and strained international relationships indicate a stark contrast between state propaganda and the reality faced by the Russian arms industry.
Aug 7, 2024
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The National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research: Five Years of Accomplishments
Just five years ago, little scientific evidence existed on the effects of gun laws in the United States. Since 2019, the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research has allocated more than $24 million to fund research projects on gun violence prevention, resulting in a windfall of new scientific results, with more to come.
Aug 6, 2024
commentary

Nurturing and Destroying Democracy: The Two Sides of Bangladesh's Ousted Awami League
Amid violent protests and mounting dissent in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation marks the end of an era, leaving Bangladesh in turmoil and casting a shadow over its democratic aspirations. The future hangs in the balance with an uncertain military role and a populace hungry for change.
Aug 6, 2024
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NATO Can't Be a One-Trick Pony: The Future of NATO Crisis Prevention and Management
An enhanced commitment to crisis management for a new age of great power rivalry could better position NATO to promote stability by preventing emerging crises from becoming full-blown military conflicts.
Aug 2, 2024
commentary

Shifting the U.S.-Japan Alliance from Coordination to Integration
Agreements announced last spring represent a significant evolution of the U.S.-Japan alliance. Washington and Tokyo are likely to confront several challenges. But successfully addressing these challenges could fundamentally change the nature of the alliance.
Aug 2, 2024
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Circle of Trust: Six Steps to Foster the Effective Development of Tools for Trustworthy AI in the UK and the U.S.
Artificial intelligence has great potential, but it also introduces considerable risks. Tools for trustworthy AI help bridge the gap between AI principles and their practical implementation, providing resources to ensure AI is developed and used responsibly and ethically.
Aug 2, 2024
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Fueled by New Attacks, the Houthi Information Campaign Is Thriving
Despite U.S.-led coalition efforts to curb their aggression, the Houthis' adept use of propaganda and low-cost technology has allowed them to continue their attacks and gain regional support. Attacks will persist as long as they see benefits. A U.S. counterinformation campaign could substantially reduce those benefits.
Aug 2, 2024
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NATO Bolsters Its Eastern Flank
Reinvigorated in large part because of Russian aggression against Ukraine, NATO is stronger now than at any time since the end of the Cold War. Its 75th anniversary summit in July dwelt on bolstering its eastern flank and supporting Ukraine.
Aug 1, 2024
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Back to the Future of Comms
Outgunned by Russia in electronic warfare, Kyiv should consider going further than it already has with more cost-effective communication solutions. Sometimes vintage systems and techniques can provide militaries with simpler and cheaper alternatives to keep critical lines of communication open.
Jul 30, 2024

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Quoted

The [Israel-Hamas] war has exacerbated a divide in American politics. Historically, Israel enjoyed wide bipartisan support. That's no longer the case with more progressives and younger voters questioning this core tenet of U.S. foreign policy. The Gaza war has certainly exacerbated this shift and it's going to continue to influence the politics of American support for years to come

Raphael S. Cohen

Director, Strategy and Doctrine Program, RAND Project AIR FORCE, and Director of the Pardee RAND Graduate School National Security Program

Source: rand.org

While there have sometimes been intense policy debates, American support for Israel was historically bipartisan. Judging by the reaction to the Gaza war at many of the leading college campuses—the crucible of future leaders—Western attitudes will only further harden against Israel. Israel has an American problem that it will struggle to effectively address.

Brian Michael Jenkins

Senior Adviser to the RAND President

Source: rand.org

Preparing the Workforce for AI: Insights for Civilian and Military Leaders

China's Use of Generative AI and Social Bots

A Year After the October 7 Start of the Israel-Hamas Conflict: Q&A with RAND Experts

October 7th and the Limits of Diplomacy

The Math Equity Equation

The Policy Currents Podcast

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

Improving Access to Early Childhood Education

Commentary and Articles

Domestic Politics Have Always Affected Hostage Deals

The UK Should Be Careful Not to Hand the Middle East to China

South Korean Nuclear Nonproliferation Pivot Points

Building Flood Resilience: A Grand Challenge for U.S. Water Policy

Why the Decline of Local Media Could Be a Security Risk

Countering Fentanyl with Diplomacy

Something Is Rotten in the State of Russian Arms Industry

The National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research: Five Years of Accomplishments

Nurturing and Destroying Democracy: The Two Sides of Bangladesh's Ousted Awami League

NATO Can't Be a One-Trick Pony: The Future of NATO Crisis Prevention and Management

Shifting the U.S.-Japan Alliance from Coordination to Integration

Circle of Trust: Six Steps to Foster the Effective Development of Tools for Trustworthy AI in the UK and the U.S.

Fueled by New Attacks, the Houthi Information Campaign Is Thriving

NATO Bolsters Its Eastern Flank

Back to the Future of Comms

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