July 2012

Global Security
commentary
What It Would Take to Intervene in Syria
Christopher S. Chivvis
Jul 27, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Despite the pressure to do something, a realistic military option with a prospect of having a significant positive impact on the crisis has yet to emerge with Syria, writes Christopher Chivvis.
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Affordable Care Act
commentary
Will More Employers Drop Coverage Under the ACA? Don't Bet on It
Arthur L. Kellermann
Jul 27, 2012
The RAND Blog
A problem with using surveys to predict behavior is that they measure employer sentiment toward the ACA today, rather than the economic decisions employers typically make when the time comes, writes Art Kellermann.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Al Qaeda's War for Syria
Seth G. Jones
Jul 27, 2012
The Wall Street Journal
Assuming Assad's regime eventually collapses, a robust al Qaeda presence will undermine transition efforts and pose a major threat to regional stability, writes Seth Jones.
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Diet and Eating Habits
commentary
Bedside Manners: Obesity Is Not All Your Fault
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD, Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz
Jul 26, 2012
Girl with Pen, Bedside Manners blog
We will be more successful at stemming the growing tide of obesity and improving our own health if everyone accepts their share of responsibility for the obesity epidemic, write Chloe E. Bird and Tamara Dubowitz.
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Chemical Weapons and Warfare
commentary
Syria's Chemical Weapons, and Beyond
James T. Quinlivan, Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Jul 26, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Every possible effort toward peaceful resolution and proliferation avoidance, even to the extent of offering safe passage and immunity to reprehensible characters in order to buy the safe transfer and control of such materials, is worth consideration, write James T. Quinlivan and Bruce W. Bennett.
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commentary
Drawing Right Lessons from the Olympic Security Debacle
James Gilbert
Jul 25, 2012
The RAND Blog
The way forward is not for the government to say no to outsourcing of sensitive functions, but to think carefully about which efficiency savings are real and which are, instead, a result of introducing a far greater degree of risk, writes James Gilbert.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
The Olympics and Terrorism: Why the Games Remain an Appealing Target
Brian A. Jackson
Jul 25, 2012
The RAND Blog
While it is quite clear that attacking an event as internationally iconic as the Olympics would be attractive to modern terrorist groups with global aspirations, their ability to do so successfully and shift focus and attention from the competition and achievements of the Games to the terrorist groups' agendas is far less certain, writes Brian Jackson.
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blog
In Brief: Beau Kilmer on Marijuana Legalization
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Jul 25, 2012
Beau Kilmer, senior policy researcher and codirector of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, discusses what makes marijuana legalization so dramatically different from mere decriminalization.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
blog
An Assessment of the Current Terrorist Threat: A Resurgence of Iranian-Sponsored Terrorism
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jul 23, 2012
The future threat posed by Iranian-sponsored terrorism will be contingent upon Iran's calculations of risk. The current shadow war could escalate further if Iran thinks military attack by either Israel or the United States is inevitable and imminent or, obviously, if hostilities begin.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
commentary
Auditing U.S. Security Force and Economic Assistance Spending in Iraq
Charles P. Ries @charles_ries
Jul 19, 2012
The RAND Blog
A new audit of Iraq reconstruction spending underlines the fact that effective help for a nation in conflict, or a conflict winding down, isn't merely a question of resources. It also requires a deployable infrastructure to manage the spending, writes Charles Ries.
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Civic Education
blog
10 Books That Will Change the Way You Think
Jul 19, 2012
The Pardee RAND Graduate School asked its faculty members to name the books that inspired them, and remain essential reading for anyone who wants to stretch themselves and how they view the world.
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Peacekeeping and Stability Operations
blog
Building an Afghanistan Security Force: What the US Experience in Iraq (and the Soviet Experience in Afghanistan) Can Teach Us
Olga Oliker
Jul 18, 2012
Olga Oliker's July 18, 2012 testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on building an Afghanistan security force.
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commentary
PIP Mandate Keeps Michigan's Auto Premiums High
Paul Heaton
Jul 18, 2012
The Detroit News
By offering consumers more flexibility in personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, the Michigan legislature can reduce costs for many drivers while enabling those who want the best coverage to continue to buy it, writes Paul Heaton.
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commentary
North Korean Defense Chief's Retirement Has Hallmarks of Purge
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Jul 17, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
It is notable that North Korea's Politburo made the Ri announcement, suggesting a rise in power of the party relative to the military. The choice of Ri's successor is also curious, writes Bruce Bennett.
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Cannabis
commentary
Important Facts About Marijuana Legalization
Jonathan P. Caulkins, Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Mark A. R. Kleiman
Jul 13, 2012
Huffington Post
An excerpt from Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Jonathan P. Caulkins, Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer, Mark A. R. Kleiman, published by Oxford University Press (c) 2012 Oxford University Press.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
The Turkish-Iranian Alliance That Wasn't
F. Stephen Larrabee
Jul 12, 2012
Foreign Affairs
As pressures for greater democracy in the Middle East have intensified, Turkey and Iran have clashed more openly and each side has sought to expand its influence at the expense of the other, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.
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