Skip to page content

The RAND Blog

Environmental Science and Technology
q&a
The Science of Climate Policy: Q&A with Benjamin Preston
Oct 22, 2019
Benjamin Preston, a senior policy researcher and director of RAND's Community Health and Environmental Policy Program, specializes in climate risk and adaptation, disaster recovery, and resilience. In this Q&A, he discusses common misperceptions about climate change and how to decarbonize the U.S. economy.
Read More »

Social and Emotional Learning
commentary
Restorative Justice Isn’t a Panacea, but It Can Promote Better Relationships Among Students
Joie D. Acosta, Matthew Chinman, Catherine H. Augustine, John Engberg
Oct 21, 2019
The Hechinger Report
Restorative practices aren't necessarily a panacea, but if implemented well, they can contribute to an overall solution. Teaching our children to treat one another with respect not only has the potential to make our schools safer, but also to help our children get along better throughout their lives.
Read More »
The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
How the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Provides a Boost to ISIS
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Oct 21, 2019
Fox News Channel
President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria could provide the ISIS terrorist group with the time and space to regrow its organization and extend its networks throughout the Middle East. The longer-term strategic effects of the decision could reverberate in the region for years to come.
Read More »
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
The Syrian Withdrawal: Where Things Stand
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini
Oct 21, 2019
Fox News
Without an orderly process for its national security decisions, the Trump administration has defaulted to the worst option regarding Syria. The sudden withdrawal of U.S. forces has left an opening for Russia to exploit. It also left the Kurds, a U.S. partner, to fend off a Turkish assault.
Read More »
Iran
commentary
Iran, the Unitary State
Afshon Ostovar, Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai
Oct 18, 2019
Foreign Affairs
Current and future U.S. policy toward Iran must begin with the premise that the Islamic Republic is the sum of its parts and that to try to empower moderates or disempower hard-liners is naive. Rather, Washington should strive to deal with Iran as it is, not as Washington wishes it were.
Read More »
Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
U.S. Economic War on China Weakens Nuclear North Korea, Too
Soo W. Kim @mllesookim
Oct 18, 2019
Nikkei Asian Review
An effective mechanism for bending North Korea's toward denuclearization may be exerting consistent and targeted political, economic, and security pressure on China. Diminishing Beijing's relevance, while not a panacea, could pierce Kim's illusion of invincibility and place him in a bind to make some substantial concessions.
Read More »
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Indecision in Washington Compounded the Kurds' Dilemma
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini
Oct 18, 2019
The Hill
Core qualities of statesmanship and statecraft have been notably lacking in charting the U.S. administration's Syria end game. This has compounded the unavoidable costs of withdrawal with charges of betrayal and a retreat under fire.
Read More »
Workforce Management
commentary
Do Workers' Protections Need to Depend on Employee Status? Looking Beyond AB 5
Samantha Cherney, Lynn A. Karoly
Oct 17, 2019
The RAND Blog
As the nature of work evolves and the relationships between workers and firms become increasingly complex, it's possible that disentangling worker protections from worker classification rules will become a policy option worth further exploration.
Read More »
Artificial Intelligence
commentary
Embrace Open-Source Military Research to Win the AI Competition
Jasmin Leveille
Oct 16, 2019
War on the Rocks
Unless the Pentagon embraces a more open approach to artificial intelligence, it will be left behind. Private sector innovation in this space is too fast. But what are the risks of disseminating potentially sensitive AI technology? And what should not be disclosed?
Read More »
Iran
commentary
Iran's Proxies Are More Powerful Than Ever
Ariane M. Tabatabai @ArianeTabatabai, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Oct 16, 2019
Foreign Policy
The Trump administration has pursued a so-called maximum pressure strategy designed to alter the course of Iran's foreign and security policies, which relies heavily on sanctions to change Iranian behavior. Financial sanctions are an important part of any counterterrorism strategy. But they aren't enough.
Read More »
Health Care Workforce
commentary
Review of Behavioral Health Technician Training, Policies, and Practice Identifies New Opportunities
Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Bradley Blair, Aimee Ruscio, Kimberly A. Hepner @KimberlyHepner
Oct 15, 2019
The RAND Blog
Behavioral health technicians are trained to be an essential part of the mental health clinical team, serving as provider extenders who work alongside and support licensed mental health providers. What are the factors that affect these roles? And how can the Military Health System most effectively incorporate them into mental health care settings?
Read More »
Opioids
commentary
Synthetic Opioid Crisis Still Growing, Often Among Unwitting Users
Bryce Pardo @brycepardo, Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Oct 14, 2019
Axios
Although opioid prescriptions in the U.S. have fallen, opioid overdose deaths remain at historic levels. The continued spread of fentanyl and other illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids suggests the problem could still get worse.
Read More »
Scientific Professions
commentary
Outputs of the Future
Catriona Manville @CMManville, Steven Hill
Oct 11, 2019
Research Professional News
Are all types of research outputs of equal value? How do different outputs serve different purposes? Exploring these questions could benefit not only funders and universities, but also result in overall better use of research resources.
Read More »
Gender Equity in the Workplace
commentary
Stop Calling Us 'Women Experts'
Caroline Baxter @CarolineCBaxter, Elizabeth Bodine-Baron @bodinebaron
Oct 11, 2019
The RAND Blog
To get to a place where a woman's expertise is valued as implicitly as a man's, women must be freed of the baggage of being “women scholars” and “women policymakers.” Instead, women must be given that most significant form of respect: Just call us experts.
Read More »
Physical Exercise
commentary
Click and Exercise! Amazon, Netflix, Hulu—Are You Listening?
Deborah A. Cohen @DrDebCohen
Oct 11, 2019
The Health Care Blog
Most Americans report spending their daily leisure time watching screens, and devote only a small fraction of leisure time to physical activity. The explosion in streaming apps and content is likely contributing to increased sitting time. Streaming services could consider adding a pop-up at the end of each episode that could encourage viewers to take a break and move.
Read More »
Preschool
commentary
Early Childhood Education and Care Services Across the European Union Member States Still Fall Short of the Mark
Barbara Janta, Carlijn Straathof
Oct 10, 2019
The RAND Blog
Children's access to education and care from a young age is vital. Large differences exist between EU countries in access to those services and the quality of child care. Bridging the gap would require more efforts at the EU and national levels to guarantee that each child has access to services that will have lasting effects on their development.
Read More »

Page 1 of 268

1

…