The RAND Blog

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Civic Engagement and Health, the State of the Union, Better Sleep: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the link between civic engagement and health, policy insights from the State of the Union address, what couples can do to improve their sleep, and more.

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Our Actions Determine What We Read and See Online. Algorithms Are Only a Part of That Process

As social media has increasingly become the main outlet for people to acquire news and opinion, there are concerns about the effect of algorithm-driven services on the spread of misleading information. But the issue doesn't merely lie with how social platforms use algorithms to deliver content.

Tor Richardson-Golinski, Amelia Harshfield, et al.

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How to Actually Recruit Talent for the AI Challenge

In the global race to dominate AI technologies, talent is everything. The Pentagon should consider redesigning its personnel policies to accommodate a much greater degree of speed and permeability in its cyber and AI workforce, regardless of what pay and benefits it offers.

James Ryseff

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State of the Union 2020: Insights from RAND

The final State of the Union address of President Trump's four-year term may be viewed through the lens of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the evening. But the speech touched on a range of policy challenges that will remain, regardless of how politics play out in 2020.

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Rx Civic Engagement: Keeping the Public Engaged in Public Health

Civic engagement—activities like voting and volunteering—is essential for the health of democracy. A turn at the ballot box might also improve physical and mental health.

Christopher Nelson, Anita Chandra

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Los Angeles River Revitalization: Taking Inspiration from Near and Far

Currently a predominantly concrete channel running through the city, the Los Angeles River has great potential to revitalize Los Angeles's water resources, landscape, and identity. Creating a new vision for the river presents a complex challenge for policymakers, engineers, and urban planners.

Keren Zhu, J. Luke Irwin, et al.

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What Can FEMA Learn from the Historic 2017 Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons?

When a hurricane comes ashore or a wildfire ignites, most of a community's vulnerability to disaster is already set. Emergency managers including FEMA, states, and localities could do much more to identify statewide risks and build community resilience before an event makes headlines.

Jason Thomas Barnosky, Patrick S. Roberts @RamblingRoberts, et al.

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Community Schools, Brexit, Coronavirus: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the promise of community schools, the costs of uncertainty after Brexit, the coronavirus, and more.

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Book Review: 'A Game of Birds and Wolves' by Simon Parkin

In A Game of Birds and Wolves, journalist Simon Parkin reports on a long overlooked piece of World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. Captain Gilbert Roberts enlisted the Women's Royal Naval Service to build and run a game modeling a two-sided tactical fight between British escorts and German U-boats.

Stacie L. Pettyjohn

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Teens Are Driven to Stay Up Late, but Why?

That adolescents have a biologically driven delay in their sleep-wake schedules is uncontested. In fact, this is observed across cultures, including those with limited access to technology. But why this occurs is a tougher nut to crack. There are many issues pertaining to human biology that remain a mystery even to scientists and physicians.

Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel

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Economic Gain Is Possible for All Involved If Infrastructure Is Improved in Countries Encompassed by the China BRI

China's true motivations for its Belt and Road Initiative may still be unclear. But the West could consider the initiative's potential to deliver sustained economic, social, and environmental benefits for all, and find ways to support infrastructure improvements in the countries involved.

Hui Lu

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Today's Arctic Diplomacy Can't Handle Tomorrow's Problems

The international structures that have helped address many Arctic problems through negotiation and cooperation are insufficient for the military and security challenges brought on by climate change. A new forum is needed to address military and security issues in the region.

Abbie Tingstad

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The Real U.S.-China Competition: Theories of Influence

Strategic competition between the United States and China has come to dominate U.S. foreign policy debates. That competition is multifaceted, but it may turn on a basic question: Which country has a more sustainable concept of national influence?

Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr, Ali Wyne

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More Than Stormwater: How Green Infrastructure Offers Multiple Benefits for Los Angeles Communities

California faces water supply shortages, which are worsened by climate change. Applying a systems framework is essential to addressing complex problems for the sustainability of water resources.

Joan Chang, Kristin Warren, et al.

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Is Coronavirus Another SARS?

In 2002, the SARS pandemic infected more than 8,000 people and killed 774. How is the coronavirus outbreak similar? And how is it different?

Jennifer Bouey @BoueyHuang