August 2012

Health Care Costs
commentary
What Will Change Most About Our Routine Physicals Over the Next Decade?
Arthur L. Kellermann
Aug 31, 2012
Zócalo Public Square
Don't forget—an American's odds of living a long and healthy life still depend more on his zip code than his genetic code. That won't change until we make healthcare more affordable, writes Dr. Arthur Kellermann.
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Tobacco and Smoking
commentary
Parents: That Summer Job Could Be Teaching Your Youngster to Smoke
Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand
Aug 30, 2012
The RAND Blog
Workplaces across the world that rely on a teenage workforce, like supermarkets and fast food restaurants, need to do a better job protecting young people from starting to smoke, writes Rajeev Ramchand.
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Health Care Workforce
blog
Addressing the Geriatrician Shortage May Help Reduce Costs Without Compromising Quality
Melony E. Sorbero
Aug 30, 2012
Greater use of geriatricians in the hospital setting could reduce health care costs while maintaining quality of care, but there are fewer than four certified geriatricians in the United States per 10,000 individuals 75 years of age or older.
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Prescription Drug Benefits
blog
When Patients Don't Take Their Medicine: What Role Do Doctors Play in Promoting Prescription Adherence?
Douglas S. Bell, David M. Adamson
Aug 29, 2012
A new paradigm that clarifies joint provider–patient responsibility may be needed to better guide communication about medication adherence, write Douglas S. Bell and David M. Adamson.
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Hurricanes
commentary
Has the Gulf Coast Learned Katrina's Lessons in Time for Isaac?
Gary Cecchine @GaryCecchine, Jordan R. Fischbach
Aug 29, 2012
U.S. News & World Report
Seven years after Hurricane Katrina, it's clear that New Orleans and other cities along the Gulf Coast are applying what they learned then in preparation for Hurricane Isaac, write Gary Cecchine and Jordan R. Fischbach.
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Global Security
commentary
Taking Syria Seriously
F. Stephen Larrabee, Wasif Syed
Aug 27, 2012
Project Syndicate
The US needs a more activist, assertive policy toward Syria aimed at ending the conflict in such a way that bolsters regional stability and facilitates a peaceful democratic transition, write F. Stephen Larrabee and Wasif Syed.
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Nation Building
commentary
A Year After the Fall of Tripoli, Libya Still Fragile
Christopher S. Chivvis
Aug 23, 2012
CNN
The countries that helped topple Moammar Gadhafi a year ago have a special obligation to ensure the new Libyan government gets all the help it needs to respond to these new threats effectively, writes Christopher Chivvis.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Gate Crashing the Opposition: Why Washington Should Leave Regime Change to the Iranians
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Alireza Nader
Aug 23, 2012
Foreign Affairs
Emphasizing human rights will demonstrate to the Iranian people that the U.S. cares for their future. Threats of military action and war will only convince the Iranian opposition that America is a hostile power that supports regime change for its own narrow purposes, write James Dobbins and Alireza Nader.
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Employment and Unemployment
commentary
The Virtues of a '9 to 5' Job
Christian Van Stolk
Aug 23, 2012
The RAND Blog
People who do shift work should be vigilant about their risk factors. At the same time, their employers—and the government—can do more to offer education and targeted screening programs to prevent or forestall disease, writes Christian van Stolk.
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Al Qaida
commentary
Drone Strikes Keep Pressure on al-Qaida
Patrick B. Johnston
Aug 22, 2012
Providence Journal
Recently declassified correspondence seized in the bin Laden raid shows that the relentless pressure from the drone campaign on al-Qaida in Pakistan led bin Laden to advise al-Qaida operatives to leave Pakistan's Tribal Areas as no longer safe, writes Patrick B. Johnston.
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South Korea
commentary
Beijing Unflustered by Cool Ties With Seoul
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Aug 20, 2012
YaleGlobal
In light of deeply-rooted policy differences, so clearly on display in China’s treatment of South Korea over the past two years, no amount of tweaking around the margins of policy, inspired by internet polling, is likely to lead to dramatic improvements in the bilateral relationship.
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Russia
commentary
What Pussy Riot Teaches Us
Olga Oliker
Aug 20, 2012
CNN
The global attention drawn by Pussy Riot shows what is possible in an interconnected world, writes Olga Oliker. Opposition movements in Russia and elsewhere may take note and think about how to better harness such possibilities in the future.
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Political Reform Movements
commentary
How Does Arab Spring Compare to Third Wave Transitions?
Laurel E. Miller, Jeffrey Martini
Aug 17, 2012
Democracy Digest
The changes underway in the Arab world may lead to various possible destinations that differ both from their points of departure and from liberal democracy, write Laurel Miller and Jeffrey Martini.
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European Union
commentary
Abandoning the Euro Would Devastate Greece
Charles P. Ries @charles_ries
Aug 17, 2012
U.S. News & World Report
Greece is best off doing whatever it takes to remain on the rescue program prescribed by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, while tackling on its own the structural constraints to growth, writes Charles Ries.
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Education Policy
commentary
School Principals Respond to Performance-Based Evaluation System
Laura S. Hamilton, John Engberg
Aug 15, 2012
The RAND Blog
It's fair to say the program turned out to be an important step for the district in the context of its overall reform plan considering how important high-quality school leadership is for improving teaching and learning, write Laura Hamilton and John Engberg.
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Diet and Eating Habits
blog
Strategies Used to Control Alcohol Abuse May Be Useful in Curbing Obesity
Aug 15, 2012
Policies that regulate how alcohol is displayed, packaged, and sold long have been used to help curb alcohol abuse and its associated health risks. Could some of those same policies help control obesity if applied to food?
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Global Security
commentary
Conflict with China: What It Would Look Like, How to Avoid It
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Aug 14, 2012
The Diplomat
While China's overall military capabilities will not equal those of the United States anytime soon, it will more quickly achieve local superiority in its immediate neighborhood, first in and around Taiwan and then at somewhat greater distances, writes James Dobbins.
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Egypt
commentary
Changing of the Guard in Egypt
Julie E. Taylor
Aug 14, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Morsi's moves were certainly dramatic, and he may not be done. He has “decreed” that he has the right to select the next Constituent Assembly—deciding the constitution—if this one fails or is disbanded, writes Julie Taylor.
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Global Security
commentary
America and India: Growing Partners in Afghanistan
Larry Hanauer, Peter Chalk
Aug 10, 2012
The Diplomat
A comprehensive Indian military training effort in Afghanistan would balance Pakistan's own involvement in the country, build upon a decade of American achievements in fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and contribute to peace and security in the region, write Larry Hanauer and Peter Chalk.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Four Years on, Hard Feelings Linger Between Russia and Georgia
Olga Oliker
Aug 9, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
A normalized Georgia-Russia relationship remains in Georgia's, Russia's, and America's interest. Going forward, the U.S. can play a role by calibrating its own interaction with both states to promote improved relations between them, and avoid exacerbating tensions, writes Olga Oliker.
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Global Security
commentary
Step Up Opposition Support
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Aug 9, 2012
NYTimes.com
Well-meant advice and promises of postwar aid will mean much less in forging a relationship with the eventual rulers of Syria than decisive assistance now, writes James Dobbins.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
The Right Way to Help Syria's Rebels
Dalia Dassa Kaye, David Kaye
Aug 9, 2012
Los Angeles Times
The Obama administration has led international efforts to isolate and sanction those most responsible for the regime's violence, and those efforts—along with diplomacy to bring Russia and China along—should be strengthened, write Dalia Dassa Kaye and David Kaye.
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Global Security
commentary
Fiasco in the Levant
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Aug 9, 2012
Foreign Policy
The United States' ability to shape future events in Syria will only be as great as the support it gives the rebels in their fight to topple Assad, writes James Dobbins.
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Health Care Quality
blog
A Cure for Overtreatment: RAND Guidelines for Appropriate Care
Arthur L. Kellermann
Aug 9, 2012
Reducing inappropriate and wasteful tests, treatments and procedures has the potential to save billions annually and simultaneously improve the quality and safety of American medicine.
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Preventive Health Care
commentary
'Socialized' or Not, We Can Learn from the VA
Arthur L. Kellermann
Aug 8, 2012
The RAND Blog
As the nation struggles to confront the twin challenges of rising healthcare costs and uncertain quality, we should be willing to embrace innovative practices wherever they exist, whether they are developed in private, for-profit health care systems or so-called
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Religion and Civil Society
commentary
Victims of Terrorism-by-Mistaken-Identity
Jonah Blank
Aug 8, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Perpetrators of hate-crimes against Sikhs often think they're attacking Muslims. This may not make the slaughter any more or less heinous, but it's another example of hatred flowing from ignorance, writes Jonah Blank.
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Global Security
commentary
Syrian Scenarios
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Aug 8, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
The most likely outcome, in my opinion, may be no outcome at all, but instead a civil war lasting years. The conflict has become an existential struggle for its participants—their survival is at stake, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
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Highway Transportation
commentary
Lessons of 1st Carmageddon in L.A. by the Numbers
Martin Wachs, Brian D. Taylor
Aug 3, 2012
LA Daily News
Rather than threatening that the closure will be a mess, messages appealing to citizens' public spirit that Los Angeles can pull together again to make the closure go smoothly are more likely to resonate because they are consistent with past experience, write Martin Wachs and Brian D. Taylor.
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HIV Treatment
blog
How Can We Negotiate for Lower Prices in Antiretroviral Treatments?
Aug 3, 2012
Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment has transformed HIV from a death sentence to a chronic condition, allowing people to live longer and healthier lives. However, people living with HIV face significant barriers to accessing and affording ARV medications.
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Preschool Children
blog
Bernanke Knows a Good Investment When He Sees One
Lynn A. Karoly
Aug 2, 2012
Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve System Ben S. Bernanke cited RAND studies that have documented the importance of investing early in children's learning as he made the case that early education programs are one of the best investments that society can make in its future.
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Counterterrorism
blog
Latest Olympics Security Snafu Won't Be the Last
Mark Sparkman
Aug 1, 2012
The 2012 London Olympic Games is not the first time private firms have failed to deliver what they promised to Olympic Games organizers--nor will it be the last.
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Global Security
blog
The Case for Expanding Assistance to the Syrian Opposition
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Aug 1, 2012
What is important for the U.S. government to do at this stage is forge relationships with those likely to next govern Syria. The United States should up its assistance to the rebels, providing military assets needed for success that only the United States possesses in adequate number.
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