April 2013

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Dementia's Growing Cost to Caregivers

At the rate that the U.S. population is aging, the total cost of dementia could reach half a trillion dollars a year by 2040. Those who care for impaired relatives and friends are acutely aware of the effects of dementia, and unfortunately they are all too familiar with its costs, writes Kathleen J. Mullen.

Kathleen J. Mullen

commentary

Governors Missing the Point on Medicaid

While a governor or legislator may disagree with Medicaid expansion for philosophical reasons, the claims that the expansion will be a burden on states' economies seem misguided given the full range of projected economic impacts on the states, writes Carter C. Price.

Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice

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7 Key Questions on Marijuana Legalization

Policymakers in Washington and Colorado are confronting some new and tricky issues that have never been addressed. For them, and for anyone else thinking about changing their pot laws, there are seven key decision areas that will shape the costs and benefits of marijuana legalization.

Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer

blog

Ask Me Anything: Beau Kilmer Answers Drug Policy Questions on Reddit

Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and coauthor of Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, hosted an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Reddit this week.

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Why Iran Is Trying to Save the Syrian Regime

Tehran views Syria as a strategic gateway to the Arab world, a bulwark against American and Israeli power, and, perhaps most importantly, a crucial link to Lebanese Hezbollah, writes Alireza Nader.

Alireza Nader

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Put Peer Review Under Review

The progress of science and technology shows that good research does get funded—but it doesn’t show that peer review is the best way to select it, writes Steven Wooding.

Steven Wooding

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Lessons from Boston

Boston's health care providers reacted the way they did because they knew what they were supposed to do. Those who did not were smart enough to follow the lead of those who did. That's how a “ritualized” disaster plan works.

Arthur L. Kellermann, Kobi Peleg

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The Economic Promise of Malaria Reduction

Better understanding of how malaria reduction affects different households, regions, and economic sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa could allow policymakers to assess alternative intervention strategies and allocate resources more efficiently and effectively.

Priscillia Hunt, Stijn Hoorens @StijnHoorens, et al.

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Tsarnaev Brothers' Impact on U.S.-Russian Counterterrorism Cooperation

Unfortunately, since 9/11, the ups and downs in U.S.-Russian counterterrorism cooperation have mirrored the unsteady relationship between the two countries, writes Andrew S. Weiss.

Andrew S. Weiss

commentary

Can Catholic Colleges Block Free Condom Distribution?

If this issue were to be decided on the basis of public health benefits, the outcome would be clear: Condoms indisputably prevent both unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, writes Chloe Bird.

Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD

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Labor and Opposition in Iran

The economic pains caused by the Iranian regime's mismanagement, corruption, and international sanctions have dealt serious blows to worker wages, benefits, and job security — enough reason for Iranian laborers to organize and oppose the regime.

Alireza Nader, Leila Mahnad

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Reacting to Boston

Basing public safety decisions on risk analysis allows authorities to devote public resources to those counterterrorism measures that have the potential to do the most good, writes Henry Willis.

Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis

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Are High-Stakes Tests Counterproductive?

If we want testing to exert beneficial effects on teaching and learning, we need to advocate for higher-quality tests and for evaluation and accountability systems that use multiple measures and do not rely exclusively on test scores, write Laura Hamilton and Gabriella C. Gonzalez.

Laura S. Hamilton, Gabriella C. Gonzalez

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The Day After

The risk of overreaching in the name of homeland security is great. But the best and most likely outcome of this latest attack would be a measured security response built around Americans engaging anew in their own security, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Consider Taxing Miles Traveled

Mileage-fee rates could be structured to reduce congestion, harmful emissions and excessive road wear, and the enabling technology could support a range of value-added services offering greater convenience and safety for motorists, writes Keith Crane.

Keith Crane