The RAND Blog

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The Indo-Pacific Contest: It Could be Time for Fresh Ideas on Allied Security Cooperation

U.S. and Australian interests in the Pacific and Southeast Asia face unprecedented challenges from China, and Australia may not be able to handle them on its own. Momentum is growing for heightened cooperation between Australia and the United States.

John Blaxland, Jennifer D. P. Moroney @jdpmoroney

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Modern War for Romantics: Ferdinand Foch and the Principles of War

Recent American military history suggests civilian and military leaders could benefit from studying French military strategy. For those who wish to understand French military thinking, the place to start is with Marshal Ferdinand Foch.

Michael Shurkin

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The Cost of Brexit Uncertainty and the Negative Implications for the UK Economy

Leaving the European Union has had an overall negative economic effect on the UK economy, and there are additional economic costs associated with the uncertainty surrounding the new relationship. Will there be a deal? And if so, what type of deal is likely?

Christian Van Stolk, Marco Hafner

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Stress Accumulates in Marginalized Communities, Generation After Generation

Psychologists and biologists have known for years that prolonged stress is toxic to the human body. A better understanding of how stress builds in communities—and the burden it puts on them—can lead to more effective policies to address it.

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College in America Could Be Changed Forever

COVID-19 is threatening to upend the models that both public and private higher education depend on in the United States. As universities consider whether to postpone in-person classes until next year, many parents and students may be questioning the value of a traditional higher education.

Charles A. Goldman, Rita T. Karam

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COVID-19's Depletion of Entry-Level Summer Jobs Can Have Long-Lasting Effects for Young Workers

Summer is typically when employment for young workers is at its highest. One of the many costs of the pandemic is lower employment rates. For young workers, it's not just an issue of lost wages; there is also an effect on their personal job history.

Matthew D. Baird

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Japan Is Canceling a U.S. Missile Defense System

In June, Japan canceled its planned deployment of two Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense systems. This decision is understandable, but that doesn't negate the problems it could pose for Japanese security and Japan's relationship with the United States.

Jeffrey W. Hornung

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Demystifying the Belt and Road Initiative

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China works with more than 70 countries to design and implement large infrastructure projects. Why are countries of all stripes turning to China for funding when the world is awash with cash?

Rafiq Dossani

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Will the Real Kim Yo Jong Stand Up?

It's difficult to get reliable information about North Korea's leadership. This is especially true of Kim Jong Un's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong. Nonetheless, Washington should strive to learn as much as possible about someone who could become the leader of a nuclear-armed North Korea.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett

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Chinese Border Aggression Against India Likely Unrelated to Pandemic

Some argue that Beijing's aggression at the China-India border is part of an attempt to exploit the pandemic. But it may simply be a continuation of China's threatening behavior in the Indo-Pacific, which began before COVID-19 started to spread.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman

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Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems

External powers have intervened in the civil wars in Libya and Syria, supplying advanced conventional weapons that have intensified the conflicts. But not all of the weapons have performed as claimed.

John V. Parachini @JohnParachini, Peter A. Wilson

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Book Review: 'The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare' by Christian Brose

As the Pentagon and commercial technologists continue to explore the potential of commercial technologies for the military and work towards greater adoption, they may wish to focus not only on lowering bureaucratic barriers but also on managing expectations about what technologies will be most beneficial and how they will be used.

Jonathan P. Wong @jonpwong

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The Growing Irrelevance of Organizational Structure for U.S. Domestic Terrorism

For decades, America's primary terrorist threat came from groups based abroad. Today, a new crop of terrorist actors is emerging from within our own borders. Although diverse and for the most part unconnected to each other, they share a common objective of disrupting society and in the process, overturning existing norms if not the entire political, social, and economic order.

Colin P. Clarke, Bruce Hoffman

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Learning to Live in a Riskier World

Even as the public discussion about COVID-19 risk becomes increasingly polarized, many Americans are slowly and quietly balancing the threat of infection against valued daily activities, and learning to live in a riskier world.

Shanthi Nataraj, Sita Nataraj Slavov

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Preparing for a COVID Surge, Reducing Police Violence, Media Literacy in Schools: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on helping hospitals prepare for a surge in COVID-19 infections, an approach to reducing police violence, teachers' concerns about students' media literacy, and more.