• Skip to page content
RAND Corporation
Objective Analysis. Effective Solutions.
Toggle Menu

Site-wide navigation

  • About RAND
    • RAND at a Glance
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • RAND History
    • Leadership
    • Organizational Structure
    • Contacts
    • Locations
    • Quality Standards
    • Educational Opportunities
    • Events
  • RAND Campaign
  • Press Room
  • Careers
  • Research

    Research Areas

    • Children, Families, and Communities
    • Cyber and Data Sciences
    • Education and Literacy
    • Energy and Environment
    • Health, Health Care, and Aging
    • Homeland Security and Public Safety
    • Infrastructure and Transportation
    • International Affairs
    • Law and Business
    • National Security and Terrorism
    • Research Methods
    • Science and Technology
    • Social Equity
    • Workers and the Workplace

    Trending Topics

    • Ukraine
    • Disaster Recovery Operations
    • Military Veterans
    • Health Equity
    • North Atlantic Treaty Organization
    • Teachers and Teaching
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Police-Community Relations
    All Topics Browse Reports

    Research Divisions

    • RAND Army Research Division
    • RAND Australia
    • RAND Education and Labor
    • RAND Europe
    • RAND Health Care
    • RAND Homeland Security Research Division
    • RAND National Security Research Division
    • RAND Project AIR FORCE
    • RAND Social and Economic Well-Being
    Featured Research Activities
    • RAND International
      • Center for Asia Pacific Policy
      • Center for Global Risk and Security
      • Center for Middle East Public Policy
      • Center for Russia and Eurasia
    • RAND Gulf States Policy Institute
    Research Departments
  • Latest Insights

    Reports

    /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/reports
    • Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd L), Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu (L), and Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov (2nd R) watch the Zapad-2017 war games held by Russian and Belarussian servicemen, in the Leningrad region, Russia, September 18, 2017, photo by Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin via Reuters
      Understanding the Russian General Staff
    • Maj. Laura Johnson, a mental health flight commander, speaks to an Airman in her office on June 10, 2021, at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, photo by Heather Heiney/U.S. Air Force
      Behavioral Health Care Following the Onset of the Pandemic

    Blog Posts

    /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/blogPosts
    • A statue of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein remains in front of a destroyed communication center in Baghdad, Iraq, March 28, 2003, photo by Reuters Photographer/Reuters
      Twenty Years After the Iraq War, a Q&A with RAND Experts
    • An Air Force pararescue jump expert loads a simulated injured survivor into Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside vehicle at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, May, 2021, photo courtesy of Kitty Hawk
      Venture Capital Gives America a Strategic Edge in the Age of Technology Wars

    Multimedia

    /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/multimedia
    • Call with the Experts: The North Korean Nuclear Threat
      RAND Experts Discuss the First Year of the Russia-Ukraine War
    • Policy Currents
      The Policy Currents Podcast
  • Policy Experts

    All Experts

    Spotlight
    • Daniel Egel
      Daniel Egel
      Commentary:
      Venture Capital Gives America a Strategic Edge in the Age of Technology Wars
    • Derek Grossman
      Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
      Commentary:
      India Can Bridge the U.S.-Russia Divide over Ukraine

    By Research Area

    • Children, Families, and Communities
    • Cyber and Data Sciences
    • Education and Literacy
    • Energy and Environment
    • Health, Health Care, and Aging
    • Homeland Security and Public Safety
    • Infrastructure and Transportation
    • International Affairs
    • Law and Business
    • National Security and Terrorism
    • Research Methods
    • Science and Technology
    • Social Equity
    • Workers and the Workplace
  • Capabilities

    Drawing upon decades of experience, RAND provides research services, systematic analysis, and innovative thinking to a global clientele that includes government agencies, foundations, and private-sector firms.

    • Capabilities Overview
    • RAND Solutions
    Who We Work For
    • Public Sector
    • Philanthropic Sector
    • Private Sector
    Work with Us
    • Explore Business Contacts
    About RAND Research
    • Disciplinary Expertise
    • Quality Standards
    • Methodological Innovation

    Featured Solutions

    /content/admin/rand-header/jcr:content/par/header/caseStudies
    • Sunrise over Louisiana wetlands
      Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change
    • A ballistic missile target is launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on October 3, 2013
      Managing Escalation in Crisis and War
    • Aerial view of Santa Monica city and beach
      Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive
    • Ripples in water
      Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research
  • Graduate School

    The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. programs offered at an independent public policy research organization—the RAND Corporation.

    • About Pardee RAND
    • Admissions
    • Degree Programs
    • Students
    • Faculty

    Featured Video: Campus Tour

    Pardee RAND Graduate School sign

    Student Life at Pardee RAND

    Student Spotlight

    • Ashley Woo
      Ashley Woo

      Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, and Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School

    • Joan Chang
      Joan Chang

      Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, and Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School

  • About

  • 中文(简体)
  • العربية
  • Sign In Sign out
  • Cart
Toggle Search
  1. RAND
  2. >The RAND Blog
/content/rand/blog/jcr:content/par/bloglist .topic.mexico
The RAND Blog

Mexico

  • A stretch of Hadrian's Wall at Walton's Crags in Northumberland, England, photo by Gannet77/Getty Images
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Hadrian's Wall Was a Policy Statement; So Is Donald Trump's

    It's not clear if Hadrian's Wall was necessary to prevent Scottish fighters from invading the Roman Empire. Neither is it clear how effective Trump's wall would be at repelling undocumented immigration and smugglers. Hadrian's Wall may have been of symbolic value to those on both sides of it. Trump's could be, too.

    Read More »

    Mar 6, 2019

    United Press International

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

  • blog

    Shutdown, Hezbollah, Border Wall: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on Americans' financial fragility, Hezbollah in Venezuela, assessing the effectiveness of a border wall, and more.

    Read More »

    Feb 15, 2019

  • Border and Port Security

    commentary

    The Wall Is Not the Only Answer

    The president and Congress have just days to negotiate an agreement over border security, or the government may shut down once again. Until a bipartisan effort is made to reform U.S. immigration laws, policy options to address the incentives that cause people to risk their lives to come to the border to claim asylum will continue to be limited.

    Read More »

    Feb 8, 2019

    The Hill

    Blas Nunez-Neto

  • Border and Port Security

    commentary

    What Border Walls Can and Cannot Accomplish

    States have been building walls since ancient times. Some were arguably quite successful, others less so. At the core of prudent policy lies a basic question: What can walls realistically accomplish?

    Read More »

    Jan 8, 2019

    Fox News Channel

    Raphael S. Cohen

  • Migrants

    commentary

    America's Overwhelmed Immigration System

    The Trump administration's options to deal with the surge of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S. border appear to be limited. What policies could help address the problem?

    Read More »

    Dec 5, 2018

    Dallas Morning News

    Blas Nunez-Neto

  • Mexico

    commentary

    How the Results of the Mexican Election Could Impact U.S. National Defense

    The United States and Mexico collaborate in several important areas. In particular, the relationship is strong on the military-to-military front. But the upcoming Mexican presidential election could change this dynamic.

    Read More »

    Jun 7, 2018

    Dallas Morning News

    Sean M. Zeigler

  • Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Prioritizing Security at the U.S. Border with Mexico

    As debate on border security continues, policymakers would be wise to look beyond the heated rhetoric to clearly identify priorities and make informed decisions about how best to deploy finite resources to get the strongest security for the investment.

    Read More »

    Jan 29, 2018

    U.S. News & World Report

    Blas Nunez-Neto

  • Border and Port Security

    commentary

    The Big Border Security Question

    What does a secure U.S.-Mexico border look like? And what kind of security measures are needed? Despite investing billions of dollars since 9/11, it's still a struggle to measure how effective U.S. border security operations are.

    Read More »

    Dec 9, 2017

    U.S. News & World Report

    Blas Nunez-Neto

  • Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Broken Border or Broken Policy?

    What does a secure land border look like? The U.S. government's inability to provide an answer has trapped America in a vicious cycle. Every decade, the perception that the U.S.-Mexico border isn't secure enough leads to big investments—with mixed results.

    Read More »

    Nov 17, 2017

    U.S. News & World Report

    Blas Nunez-Neto

  • Immigration and Emigration

    commentary

    Understanding and Addressing the Unaccompanied Minor Immigration Issue

    The number of unaccompanied child immigrants apprehended at the U.S. southwest border is on the rise again, the majority of them coming not from Mexico, but from Central America. Research could provide valuable information to policymakers as they try to find ways to help young immigrants.

    Read More »

    Apr 22, 2016

    The Hill

    Ernesto F. L. Amaral, Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

  • Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Walls Won't Keep Us Safe

    Experience along the U.S. southern border demonstrates that even with fortifications, a wall provides only modest capacity to stop illegal crossings. More emphasis should be placed on expanding border security beyond the physical dimension.

    Read More »

    Apr 15, 2016

    U.S. News & World Report

    Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

  • Crime

    commentary

    El Chapo's Prison Escape Should Come as No Surprise

    Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel and similar criminal organizations have long used tunnels to literally undermine security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Read More »

    Jul 24, 2015

    Fox News Channel

    Scott Savitz

  • Mexico border
    Security Cooperation

    commentary

    If U.S.-Mexico Get Security Right, Other Good Policy Will Follow

    Obama and Peña Nieto emphasized economic cooperation at their summit not because security issues have gone away, but because the new rules of the game in this nascent relationship between the two leaders are evolving, writes Agnes Gereben Schaefer.

    Read More »

    May 29, 2013

    Houston Chronicle

    Agnes Gereben Schaefer

  • protest against violence in Juarez, Mexico
    Illegal Drug Trade

    commentary

    Legalization in the U.S. and Crime in Mexico

    Driving Mexican marijuana out of the U.S. would probably reduce the traffickers' export revenue by a few billion dollars a year, writes Beau Kilmer. But would reducing that revenue lead to a corresponding decrease in trafficker violence?

    Read More »

    May 23, 2013

    NYTimes.com

    Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer

  • Drug Policy and Trends

    commentary

    Drug Cartels an X-Factor for Obama, Peña Nieto

    Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and President Obama both face daunting domestic challenges and have ambitious domestic agendas, but both presidents are savvy politicians who realize that each will benefit from the other's success, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    Read More »

    Feb 20, 2013

    The Orange County Register

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

  • At a rally, two women hold signs calling for immigration reform

    blog

    Potential Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Takes Shape

    A group of U.S. Senators this week unveiled a proposal to reform the nation's immigration laws, outlining a path to citizenship for most of the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants and endorsing an increase of certain types of foreign-born workers.

    Read More »

    Jan 31, 2013

  • Protest in Mexico City against the major presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto
    Mexico

    commentary

    Will Mexico's New President Continue the War on the Cartels?

    During his campaign, Enrique Peña Nieto, the victorious PRI candidate, promised frightened and war-weary Mexicans a reduction in the violence, but since his election victory in July, he has sounded more and more bellicose, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    Read More »

    Nov 16, 2012

    The RAND Blog

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

  • Illegal Drug Trade

    commentary

    Assessing Mexico's Narco-Violence

    Drug-related violence in Mexico has more than doubled over the past 18 months, with a sharp increase in crimes that can only be understood as atrocities. The executions, assassinations, and decapitations may all seem wanton and senseless. But this violence actually has a purpose, write Benjamin Bahney and Agnes Gereben Schaefer.

    Read More »

    May 14, 2009

    The San Diego Union-Tribune

    Benjamin Bahney, Agnes Gereben Schaefer

  • Mexico

    commentary

    Could Mexico Fail?

    The lawlessness along the mexicanborder has gone way beyond alocal crime wave: there has beena dramatic increase in armed robberies, not by lone gunmen but by heavily armed gangs. Kidnappings and homicides are way up—and not just murders but beheadings.... It is starting to look like a terrorist campaign, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    Read More »

    Feb 13, 2009

    Homeland Security Today

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

Quoted

  • There is no question that the Iraq War upended the balance of power in the Middle East, but the war has had a similarly profound effect on American politics as well. It left sizeable swaths of the American population on both the left and the right questioning not only whether the United States should conduct armed nation-building in the future, but to what degree, if any, the United States should be militarily involved abroad at all.

    Raphael Cohen

    Raphael S. Cohen

    Director, Strategy and Doctrine Program, RAND Project AIR FORCE

    Source: The RAND Blog

  • The Iraq War had profound consequences for U.S.-Iran relations, as it turned Iraq into a site of indirect conflict between the United States and Iran. The political instability that accompanied the war, moreover, created an opening for Iran to increase its influence in Iraqi domestic politics and internal affairs.

    michelle grise

    Michelle Grisé

    Policy Researcher

    Source: The RAND Blog

Stay Informed

RAND Policy Currents

Stay on top of the latest RAND research highlights, news, and commentary with the official RAND email newsletter.

Explore Posts

By Content Type

  • Commentary
  • Essay
  • Announcement
  • Article
  • Q & A

By Research Area

  • Children, Families, and Communities
  • Cyber and Data Sciences
  • Education and Literacy
  • Energy and Environment
  • Health, Health Care, and Aging
  • Homeland Security and Public Safety
  • Infrastructure and Transportation
  • International Affairs
  • Law and Business
  • National Security and Terrorism
  • Research Methods
  • Science and Technology
  • Social Equity
  • Workers and the Workplace

By Top Topic

  • International Diplomacy (1139)
  • Security Cooperation (665)
  • Russia (565)
  • China (557)
  • Politics and Government (524)
  • Global Security (476)
  • Counterterrorism (462)
  • Military Strategy (407)
  • Pandemic (288)
  • International Economic Relations (285)
  • Syria (281)
  • International Affairs (275)
  • Iran (274)
  • Iraq (266)
  • Peacekeeping and Stability Operations (256)

Archives

  • 2023
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2022
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2021
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2002
    • December
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2001
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2000
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • July
  • Save to My RAND
  • Subscribe
  • Email
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn

About

The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.

  • RAND History
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Leadership
  • Research Integrity
  • Career Opportunities
  • Santa Monica, CA
  • Washington, DC
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Boston, MA
  • Cambridge, UK
  • Brussels, BE
  • Canberra, AU
World map of RAND office locations

Connect

Contact Us

  • Contact Us
  • Locations

I am interested in

  • Jobs at RAND
  • Media Resources
  • Congressional Resources
  • Doing Business with RAND
  • Supporting RAND
  • Educational Opportunities
  • Alumni Association

Follow

  • RAND Corporation on Facebook
  • RAND Corporation on Twitter
  • RAND Corporation on LinkedIn
  • RAND Corporation on YouTube
  • RAND Corporation on Instagram

Stay Informed

Subscribe to the weekly Policy Currents newsletter to receive updates on the issues that matter most.

Stay Informed

RAND Policy Currents

Get weekly updates from RAND.

View all email newsletters

Resources

  • Multimedia
  • Latest Reports
  • Browse by Author
  • RAND Classics
  • Databases and Tools

Site Information

  • Site Map
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Support Policy
  • Feedback
  • Help
RAND Corporation 1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, California 90401-3208
RAND® is a registered trademark. © 1994-2023 RAND Corporation.