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Protests and Police Reform, Facial Recognition, Gun Policies: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on protests and police reform after the killing of George Floyd, facial recognition bans, gun policies that likely reduce deaths, and more.

commentary

China Just Botched a Monumental Opportunity with the Philippines

China hailed Philippines President Duterte's announcement in February of an end to the U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in six months as evidence the United States was losing the great power competition with China in the Indo-Pacific. But on June 2, Duterte decided to postpone the VFA termination, breathing new life into the decades-long agreement.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman

commentary

COVID-19 Reveals Need for More Research About Guns

Recent reports suggest that Americans reacted to the pandemic by purchasing guns and ammunition in massive numbers. What does this mean for public safety? And how can policymakers ensure that this doesn't result in more injuries or deaths?

Andrew R. Morral @AndrewMorral, Jeremy Travis

q&a

Protests and Police Reform: Q&A with RAND Experts

After the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and subsequent nationwide protests, the United States is seeing urgent action to reform policing. Here are insights from four RAND researchers who work on policing and community safety issues.

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Bans on Facial Recognition Are Naive. Hold Law Enforcement Accountable for Its Abuse

Broader police reform may be difficult to achieve. But in the long run, it will be more effective than any specific technology ban.

Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba, Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung

commentary

Long-Term Furloughs During COVID-19 Hold Risks for Employee Health and Well-Being

Governments around the world have offered furlough schemes to try to delay employers from making any restructuring decisions during the pandemic. The aims of such programs are laudable. But they may come with unintended consequences.

Carol Black, Christian Van Stolk

commentary

As COVID-19 Makes Clear, U.S. Allies in the Indo-Pacific, Not the Money They Pay to Host U.S. Forces, Are the Value Proposition

The great value the United States extracts from its alliances with Japan and South Korea is not the money they provide to offset the costs of hosting U.S. forces; the value is the deep and abiding alliances themselves and the liberal, democratic, rule of law market economies and societies to which they link the United States.

Jeffrey W. Hornung, Scott W. Harold

blog

Air Travel Data to Predict COVID Risk, Heatwave Planning, Caregiver Time Off: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on using air travel data to predict COVID risk, planning for a heat wave during the pandemic, why caregivers need time off, and more.

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Nuclear Testing Not Needed Now

Trump administration officials are reported to have recently discussed conducting a nuclear test, breaking a moratorium the United States has observed since 1992. Such a move is not necessary to ensure the reliability of the U.S. arsenal and could increase threats to U.S. and allied security by giving a green light to others to conduct nuclear tests.

William Courtney @courtneywmh, Frank G. Klotz

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Working Moms at Risk of Being Left Behind in Economic Recovery

Being a working parent was hard enough before the pandemic. If COVID-19 intensifies the perception that parenting is at odds with work, then there may be devastating career consequences for working mothers.

Melanie A. Zaber @MelanieZaber, Kathryn A. Edwards

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Once a COVID-19 Vaccine Is Ready, Getting People to Take It May Be a Bigger Challenge

With COVID-19 vaccine development well underway, implementation of a vaccination program warrants attention. Vaccine effectiveness demands a certain percentage uptake. But since health care delivery in the United States is fragmented, a coherent federal intervention may be necessary.

Alina I. Palimaru, Marcus Dillistone, et al.

commentary

Should the U.S. Move to Strengthen Ties with Taiwan?

The contrasts in behavior between Taiwan and China during the COVID-19 pandemic show why it could be critical that U.S. policymakers consider advancing U.S.-Taiwan cooperation to enhance Taiwan's security, protect U.S. interests, and preserve peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Jeffrey W. Hornung, Scott W. Harold

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For the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, It’s the North Korean Regime, Not Kim Jong Un Per Se, That Is the Threat

Would Kim Jong Un's death improve U.S., South Korean, and Japanese security? Maybe not. North Korea's advancing nuclear and other military capabilities are driving an expanded set of problems, and while Kim's sudden death might constitute a destabilizing factor for the regime, the available evidence suggests the regime itself is the problem.

Scott W. Harold, Soo Kim

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Spending Smart or Spending Big: The Value of Systematic Assessments of Weapons Procurement

Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and inevitable economic difficulties, national governments should be encouraged to weigh their military requirements in a more cost-effective manner. Countries need to think strategically about the life cycle costs of equipment, not just the original purchase price.

Peter A. Wilson, John V. Parachini @JohnParachini

commentary

What Can the Coronavirus Teach Us About Preparing for a Heat Wave?

The occurrence of a heat wave during the pandemic may be the clearest example of an overlapping disaster in the near term, but we'll likely see more and more overlapping disasters brought about by a changing climate.

Jaime Madrigano @JMadrigano