2013

Affordable Care Act
commentary
Four Questions on Canceled Insurance Policy Fix
Christine Eibner @Chrissyeibner
Nov 15, 2013
USA Today
David Mastio, Forum editor at USA TODAY, asked RAND's Christine Eibner four questions about President Obama's plan to fix the problem with people getting their insurance canceled.
Read More »
Community Resilience
commentary
One Year Later: Hurricane Sandy's Lessons in Resilience and Recovery
Mahshid Abir
Nov 15, 2013
The RAND Blog
The recovery from Sandy shows once again that how well communities bounce back from disasters depends not just on how they react after a crisis, but on how resilient they have made themselves beforehand. Building community resilience should be part and parcel of disaster preparedness.
Read More »
Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
The Geneva Blame Game
Alireza Nader
Nov 15, 2013
Lobe Log
Iran and the P5+1 (the U.S., Britain, France, China, and Russia plus Germany) came tantalizingly close to reaching a nuclear deal this past weekend in Geneva, but the talks ended without an agreement. Although both Iran and the United States expressed optimism that much was achieved, a blame game between the different players soon ensued.
Read More »
Crime and Violence Prevention
commentary
Predictive Policing: An Effective Tool, but Not a Crystal Ball
Walter L. Perry, John S. Hollywood
Nov 15, 2013
Government Technology
Predictive policing is not an end-all solution, but rather a tool that must be used in concert with other policing resources as part of a broader anti-crime effort. Used properly, predictive policing can predict the risk of future events, but not the events themselves.
Read More »
Cybersecurity
commentary
After NSA Spying Revelations, US Must Reform Rules on Secrecy and Data
Gregory F. Treverton
Nov 14, 2013
Christian Science Monitor
The U.S. should make two key reforms. First, the over-designation of material as classified makes it is harder to protect the few real secrets; this must be change. Second, the FISA court must become a gatekeeper for NSA access to communications data.
Read More »
North Korea
blog
Bruce Bennett Discusses North Korea on Reddit.com
Nov 14, 2013
To shed some light on Kim Jong-un's possible motivations—and to discuss what might happen if the North Korean government suddenly collapsed the way East Germany's did—RAND's Bruce Bennett took part in a question and answer session on Reddit.com.
Read More »
blog
Pardee RAND Graduate School Elects New Board Members
Nov 14, 2013
The RAND Board of Trustees elected two new members to the Pardee RAND Graduate School Board of Governors this week: John Seely Brown and Robert A. Eckert.
Read More »
International Humanitarian Assistance
commentary
How Philippines Typhoon Aid Helps USA
Jonah Blank
Nov 12, 2013
USA Today
In the wake of Haiyan there is no substitute for the capabilities of the U.S. military. At the level of national interest, however, does the case for tasking the U.S. military to international natural disasters hold up — particularly in a time when the Pentagon has seen its budget slashed?
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
A Different Israeli Take on Iran
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Nov 12, 2013
Los Angeles Times
An agreement did not come out of last week's talks. But when the participants resume negotiations later this month, they should keep one thing in mind: Not all Israelis are as alarmed about a potential deal as Netanyahu. Despite Netanyahu's hard line, many Israelis believe diplomacy can work.
Read More »
Disaster Recovery Operations
commentary
Responding in Typhoon Haiyan's Wake
Jennifer D. P. Moroney @jdpmoroney, Stephanie Pezard @StephaniePezard
Nov 12, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Prior responses to other recent disasters offer important lessons. Improved preparedness and efficient coordination mechanisms can help ensure that, when time is of the essence, the United States provides the most effective response.
Read More »
G.I. Bill (The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944)
commentary
Post-9/11 GI Bill: A Good Investment in Our Veterans Can Be Better
Jennifer L. Steele
Nov 8, 2013
The RAND Blog
To better tailor the benefits to the actual needs of veterans, it is important to determine how much the implementation has really improved, and if there are lessons that can be drawn to improve future initiatives. Of critical concern is whether veterans have the information they need to take the best advantage of their GI Bill benefits.
Read More »
Military Satellites
commentary
Satellites for Rent
Timothy M. Bonds, Isaac R. Porche III
Nov 8, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Reports earlier this year that the U.S. Department of Defense leased a Chinese satellite to support military operations in Africa sparked concern that the arrangement could compromise control over U.S. military communications, or, worse, allow Chinese intelligence gatherers access to privileged military data.
Read More »
Health Care Workforce
blog
The Future of the Health Care Workforce: RAND Researchers Well Represented in Health Affairs Special Issue
Nov 7, 2013
In 'Redesigning the Health Care Workforce,' a new special issue of the journal Health Affairs, RAND researchers contribute to several timely examinations of challenges, opportunities, and potential solutions relating to the future of health care staffing in the U.S. and abroad.
Read More »
Transportation Security
commentary
Want to Create Problems? Arm the TSA
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Nov 7, 2013
Los Angeles Times
With its current 47,000 screeners, an armed TSA would become the federal government's largest armed entity outside of the military. In the eyes of many, arming TSA screeners would change the image of the organization from a service aimed at guaranteeing safe air travel to an unwanted imposition of federal authority.
Read More »
Health Literacy
q&a
Quick Takes: Health Literacy and ACA Enrollment
Nov 7, 2013
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expands coverage to millions of Americans. But the newly eligible may face challenges enrolling if they lack understanding of how the health care system itself works. Laurie Martin explains the role of health literacy in determining how successful the ACA will be in providing coverage for America's uninsured.
Read More »