The RAND Blog

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Back to School Means Back to SEL for America's Teachers and Principals

Schools are increasingly adopting programs and practices to build social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Policymakers can benefit from understanding the educator perspective: how they feel about SEL, what they're doing to promote it, and what resources they need.

Laura S. Hamilton, Christopher Joseph Doss @Chris_J_Doss, et al.

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Is Training for NHS Staff to Manage Workplace Violence Effective?

Going to work should not mean being subjected to physical or verbal assault, but this is the reality faced by thousands of frontline NHS staff. De-escalation training may help staff manage patient violence and aggression, but there is not enough research about what works in specific healthcare contexts.

Brandi Leach, Michael Whitmore

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Time to Return to the Basics of Statecraft

After two decades of setbacks abroad, it's time to ask whether the decline in American influence is irreversible. Ultimately, neither China nor Russia is responsible for these difficulties. Washington's failures have been self-inflicted, the result of flawed policy rather than any decisive shift in the global balance of power.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

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Maintaining the U.S. Edge in the Freely Associated States

In the geo-strategically vital region of the Freely Associated States (FAS), China is increasingly competing with the United States for influence. The United States and its allies and partners will need to engage not only with economic aid, but also with other issues including health, economic development, natural disasters, climate change and illegal fishing to sustain a strong partnership with the FAS.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman, Michael S. Chase

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Counterproductive Counterinsurgency: Is Mozambique Creating the Next Boko Haram?

Despite recent claims of ties to the Islamic State, the threat in Mozambique from the Islamist insurgent group al-Sunnah wa Jamaah appears to be domestic, with scarce evidence of direct ties to international extremist groups. But if the Mozambique government continues to respond in a heavy-handed manner, the threat is likely to grow, with potentially devastating effects for the country and region.

Hilary Matfess, Alexander Noyes

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Tackle Fentanyl like a Poisoning Outbreak, Not a Drug Epidemic

America's fentanyl problem is far deadlier than past crises with other illegal drugs. New ideas, be they public policies, technologies or law enforcement strategies, are desperately needed. Continuing to treat fentanyl just like previous drug epidemics will likely be insufficient and may condemn thousands more to early deaths.

Bryce Pardo @brycepardo, Jonathan P. Caulkins, et al.

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Synthetic Opioids, Mass Shootings, Prison Education: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap looks at fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, how to address mass shootings, higher education in prison, and more.

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Bargain-Hunting Robocars Could Spell the End for Downtown Parking—Cities Need to Plan Ahead Now

Imagine a scene from the near-future: You get dropped off downtown by a driverless car. You slam the door and head into your office or appointment. But then where does the autonomous vehicle go? It's a question that cities would be wise to consider now. Self-driving cars may be on the roads within the next decade or two.

Corey Harper, Constantine Samaras

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How Citizen Scientists Are Protecting Their Communities

After Superstorm Sandy, residents of Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood cleaned up debris, pumped out basements, and teamed up with researchers to find out what was in the floodwater. They established safety protocols to help local businesses prevent their chemicals from escaping and wrote a guide to help other communities.

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The Contours of China's Evolving Counterterrorism Strategy

In discussing terrorism, China often uses language that seems lifted directly out of U.S.-style war on terror rhetoric. But no one should be fooled. Beijing's sole strategy for counterterrorism is widespread surveillance and repression, completely out of proportion to the level of threat it faces. It is using the threat of terrorism to mute international criticism of these practices and to export them abroad.

Colin P. Clarke

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No Need to Wait for Congress to Address Mass Shootings

After three mass shootings in the span of a week left 53 wounded and 34 dead, pressure is mounting on Congress to respond with legislation to restrict access to guns and ammunition. But there is no need to wait for new laws. There are steps that can be taken immediately that evidence suggests could help prevent attacks or reduce the death toll from them.

John S. Hollywood @JohnS_Hollywood, Jordan R. Reimer

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Drug Spending, Back to School, Korean Unification: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap looks at illegal drug spending, the problem of waking up early for school, possible paths toward Korean unification, and more.

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Intel, Ethics, and Emerging Tech: Q&A with Cortney Weinbaum

Cortney Weinbaum studies topics related to intelligence and cyber policy as a senior management scientist at RAND. In this interview, she discusses challenges facing the intelligence community, the risks of using AI as a solution, and ethics in scientific research.

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Trump's Tariffs Against China Aren't Working. And There's No Quick Resolution in Sight

Washington's go-it-alone approach to its trade disputes with China is imposing a high and growing cost on the U.S. economy. It could even threaten global prosperity. What's more, there's no quick resolution in sight.

Charles P. Ries @charles_ries

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A Wargame at RAND Puts Teen Girls in Command

RAND analysts developed and hosted a wargame to help young women learn firsthand about national security. It's a lesson in strategy, in the hard realities behind news headlines, but also in agility and resilience. In that, it's not so far removed from the daily life of a teenage girl.