The RAND Blog

Health Economics
commentary
Health Funding—Finally Something We Can Agree On
Jon Sussex
Feb 21, 2019
The Health Foundation
At a time when it has become common to think of the UK as a divided society, there are important questions of policy on which a great many people agree. How to fund the ever-growing needs of the NHS and social care is one such area of agreement.
Read More »

Bioethics
commentary
Biology, In the Language of the People
Timothy Marler, Dona Odell
Feb 21, 2019
Annals of Biostatistics & Biometric Applications
As technology and the ability to gather ever-growing amounts of data move further into the realms of biology and human performance, communication and transparency become increasingly important. Authors should consider whether they are using the words, examples, and models that connect with a broad audience most effectively.
Read More »
North Korea
commentary
Engagement with North Korea: Small Steps May Matter More Than Big Ones
Rafiq Dossani, Heejin Kim
Feb 21, 2019
RealClearWorld
The first summit between United States president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in June, 2018, produced some small, quick, and positive gains. From those hopeful beginnings, however, the two countries soon reached a stalemate. What can be expected from the second summit in February, 2019?
Read More »
Illegal Drugs
commentary
Opioids and a Crisis of Unintended Consequences
David Powell
Feb 20, 2019
The Hill
The reformulation of OxyContin in 2010 made it more difficult to abuse, but has been linked to an increase in Hepatitis C infections. As policymakers consider additional approaches to curb opioid abuse, they should be mindful that any strategy may have unintended consequences, and be prepared to respond.
Read More »
Refugees
commentary
As Refugees, Syrian Women Find Liberation in Working
Louay Constant, Shanthi Nataraj @ShanthiNataraj, Fadia Afashe
Feb 19, 2019
United Press International
Syrian refugee women in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan want opportunities to work, but there are multiple barriers and challenges that limit them from working. Improving the chances of safe and dignified work opportunities for Syrian women in these host countries could yield broad positive social benefits for both the refugee and host communities.
Read More »
Female Populations
commentary
Book Review: 'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Feb 19, 2019
Modern War Institute (West Point)
'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone is the story of Elizebeth Friedman, the mother of modern cryptoanalysis and cryptography. She broke coded messages of organized crime, broke the Nazi Enigma cryptography machine, and deciphered, mapped, and monitored Nazi activities in South America, though it is her husband William who often gets credit.
Read More »
China
commentary
The Little-Known Security Gaps in China's Belt and Road Initiative
Mollie Saltskog, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Feb 18, 2019
The National Interest
China's Belt and Road Initiative focuses on developing infrastructure to connect Beijing to key hubs of economic activity throughout the world. But the more interests one has abroad, the more one has to protect.
Read More »
Security Cooperation
commentary
The U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Is an Opportunity for China
Mollie Saltskog, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Feb 15, 2019
Lawfare
The U.S. withdrawal from Syria could allow Beijing to further assert its role as a key international partner in Syria and, by extension, further its interests in the Middle East. The extent of Sino-Syrian cooperation remains ambiguous but it has reportedly deepened, with China supplying intelligence personnel, strategic advisors, and special forces.
Read More »
Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
A New Framework for Evaluating Counter Violent Extremism Projects
Ben Baruch @Ben_Baruch_
Feb 15, 2019
The RAND Blog
Gathering evidence in the area of counter violent extremism (CVE) is vital, given the increasing role for CVE interventions in the political and security environment. Evaluations of these interventions can play a role in growing this knowledge, by helping the CVE field itself to develop.
Read More »
Russia
commentary
Russia Chooses Paupers as Partners, with Questionable Benefit
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz
Feb 14, 2019
Newsweek
By leveraging the efficiencies of globalization and cultivating ties with prosperous partners, Russia could increase its economic potential and improve living standards for its people. And by engaging more positively with the world, it could gain influence in the forums that matter, such as the G20 and multilateral institutions.
Read More »
Refugees
commentary
Syrian Skills: A Missed Opportunity
Shanthi Nataraj @ShanthiNataraj, Louay Constant
Feb 14, 2019
RealClearWorld
Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon are finding ways to get by. But many refugees are not able to fully use their skills, and that is a lost opportunity both for the Syrians and the host countries.
Read More »
Politics and Government
commentary
Terrorists on the Border and Government Secrecy
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins, Richard Daddario
Feb 13, 2019
The Hill
Detailed information on how many would-be terrorists may have sought to cross the southern border is being withheld on the grounds that it is sensitive. The refusal of officials to offer a fuller explanation of the numbers illustrates how the continued expansion of secrecy in government is damaging the ability of the public to assess the risk and evaluate the response.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
The Warsaw Summit Is No Madrid
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Feb 13, 2019
New Republic
The peace process begun in Madrid nearly 30 years ago showed promise, but ultimately stalled, and will need rethinking to adapt to today's Middle East. The world could use a worthy successor. The Warsaw summit probably isn't it.
Read More »
Globalization
commentary
The Need to Think More Clearly About 'Great-Power Competition'
Ali Wyne @Ali_Wyne
Feb 11, 2019
The National Interest
Today's world order is increasingly defined by competition between the United States and a host of major powers, especially China and Russia. Who is America's principal competitor and over what is it competing? What is America’s ultimate objective? And how will it prepare its economy and its society for infinite competition of an indefinite nature?
Read More »
Personal Savings
commentary
What the Shutdown Revealed About the Fragility of American Life
Krishna B. Kumar @kbkumar_
Feb 11, 2019
RealClearPolicy
The government shutdown highlighted the lack of resilience many suffer from when they encounter unexpected economic events. The median American family has been losing ground for decades. Policy responses to address this situation will be complex and difficult, but are much needed.
Read More »
Politics and Government
commentary
Hezbollah Is in Venezuela to Stay
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Feb 11, 2019
Foreign Policy
Whatever the benefits of replacing the current Venezuelan regime with Washington's preferred alternative, Juan Guaidó, there's reason to doubt that it would change the country's problematic relationship with Hezbollah. Hezbollah is well-entrenched in Venezuela, where it has established a vast infrastructure for its criminal activities.
Read More »

Page 1 of 254

…

254

The RAND Blog

Health Funding—Finally Something We Can Agree On

Biology, In the Language of the People

Engagement with North Korea: Small Steps May Matter More Than Big Ones

Opioids and a Crisis of Unintended Consequences

As Refugees, Syrian Women Find Liberation in Working

Book Review: 'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone

The Little-Known Security Gaps in China's Belt and Road Initiative

The U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Is an Opportunity for China

A New Framework for Evaluating Counter Violent Extremism Projects

Russia Chooses Paupers as Partners, with Questionable Benefit

Syrian Skills: A Missed Opportunity

Terrorists on the Border and Government Secrecy

The Warsaw Summit Is No Madrid

The Need to Think More Clearly About 'Great-Power Competition'

What the Shutdown Revealed About the Fragility of American Life

Hezbollah Is in Venezuela to Stay

Contact Us

Follow