April 2013

Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias
commentary
Dementia's Growing Cost to Caregivers
Kathleen J. Mullen @KathleenJMullen
Apr 29, 2013
the RWJF's Human Capital Blog
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.
Read More »

Health Care Program Evaluation
blog
Getting To Outcomes: Improvement of Prevention Capacity Unveiled at a Summit of Maine Officials and Stakeholders
Matthew Chinman, Joie D. Acosta, Patricia A. Ebener
Apr 29, 2013
Community-based practitioners can improve their programs using Getting To Outcomes®, a toolkit, training, and onsite-support package which enhances their ability to prevent drug and alcohol use among youth.
Read More »
Medicaid
commentary
Governors Missing the Point on Medicaid
Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice
Apr 29, 2013
CNN
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.
Read More »
Marijuana
commentary
7 Key Questions on Marijuana Legalization
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Apr 26, 2013
USA Today
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.
Read More »
Drug Policy and Trends
blog
Ask Me Anything: Beau Kilmer Answers Drug Policy Questions on Reddit
Apr 26, 2013
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.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
Why Iran Is Trying to Save the Syrian Regime
Alireza Nader
Apr 25, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
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.
Read More »
Decisionmaking
commentary
Put Peer Review Under Review
Steven Wooding
Apr 25, 2013
Research Europe
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.
Read More »
Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Lessons from Boston
Arthur L. Kellermann, Kobi Peleg
Apr 25, 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
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.
Read More »
Infectious Diseases
commentary
The Economic Promise of Malaria Reduction
Priscillia Hunt @PriscilliaHunt, Stijn Hoorens @StijnHoorens, Erez Yerushalmi
Apr 24, 2013
The RAND Blog
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.
Read More »
Russia
commentary
Tsarnaev Brothers' Impact on U.S.-Russian Counterterrorism Cooperation
Andrew S. Weiss
Apr 23, 2013
The Daily Beast
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.
Read More »
Religion and Civil Society
commentary
Can Catholic Colleges Block Free Condom Distribution?
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Apr 23, 2013
Ms. Magazine
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.
Read More »
Labor Markets
commentary
Labor and Opposition in Iran
Alireza Nader, Leila Mahnad
Apr 22, 2013
Foreign Policy
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.
Read More »
Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Reacting to Boston
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
Apr 22, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
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.
Read More »
Academic Achievement
commentary
Are High-Stakes Tests Counterproductive?
Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS, Gabriella C. Gonzalez @GabCGonzalez
Apr 22, 2013
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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.
Read More »
Counterterrorism
commentary
The Day After
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Apr 19, 2013
Slate
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.
Read More »
Transportation Economics
commentary
Consider Taxing Miles Traveled
Keith Crane
Apr 19, 2013
Wall Street Journal Online
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.
Read More »
Domestic Terrorism
commentary
Forget What You Think You Know
Andrew Liepman
Apr 19, 2013
Foreign Policy
What's the difference if they ascribe this atrocity to a neo-Nazi, radical Islamist, or separatist anti-government ideology? Whatever their motive, they're cowardly murderers who need to be brought to justice, writes Andrew Liepman.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
Obama-Park Summit a Critical Opportunity for the US-Korea Alliance
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Apr 18, 2013
PacNet, CSIS and Asia Times
To preserve and protect the peace and freedom that has seen Asia develop into a third engine of the global economy, the United States and South Korea should take steps to deepen their security cooperation in three areas: bilateral alliance management, defense force modernization, and improved regional diplomatic coordination.
Read More »
Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Boston Marathon Bombings Highlight Need to Measure Investment in Homeland Security
Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis
Apr 18, 2013
The RAND Blog
In recent years, especially following the economic downturn, states, counties, and cities have looked for ways to reduce costs and maintain basic policing services, leading many to question what the investment in counterterrorism and homeland security has achieved for their jurisdiction.
Read More »
Emergency Responders
commentary
Why U.S. Was Surprised, but Prepared for Boston Attack
Arthur L. Kellermann
Apr 18, 2013
CNN
Although official after-action reports are still being compiled, it looks like Boston's first responders and hospitals delivered under difficult circumstances, writes Arthur Kellermann.
Read More »
Community Resilience
commentary
Planning for Superstorms, Wildfires, and Deep Uncertainty
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert, Anita Chandra
Apr 18, 2013
The RAND Blog
The path to climate change preparedness should start at the intersection of resilience and robustness — that is, building resilient communities with the individuals and organizations within those communities making robust decisions, ones designed to work well over a wide range of ever-changing conditions.
Read More »
Diet and Eating Habits
blog
Can “Fixing” Food Deserts Curb Obesity? The Jury Is Still Out
Apr 18, 2013
The obesity epidemic is a serious public health concern. What's less clear, however, is how our surroundings fit into the equation.
Read More »
India
commentary
Increase Funds for Quality
Rafiq Dossani
Apr 15, 2013
EduTech Magazine
In India, perhaps if the funds that are needed are put in with the help of philanthropists like Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji or Rajendra Pawar, it may be possible to build world class universities, writes Rafiq Dossani.
Read More »
Global Security
commentary
When Armies Divide: Securing Nuclear Arsenals During Internal Upheavals
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Apr 12, 2013
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
With an army divided, any type of foreign intervention would be complex and fraught with extraordinary risk—success would be a long shot. But the loss of a nuclear weapon or fissile material would change the world.
Read More »
Russia
commentary
A Russia-China Alliance Brewing?
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold, Lowell H. Schwartz
Apr 12, 2013
The Diplomat
Three major areas appear to have been the focus of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin's recent summit: managing expectations about the relationship; expanding bilateral trade in energy and arms; and cooperation on international security affairs.
Read More »
Algeria
blog
A New Book from Brian Michael Jenkins: When Armies Divide
Apr 11, 2013
In 1961, four French generals launched a coup against the government of President Charles de Gaulle and conceivably might have ended up with a nuclear device. In When Armies Divide, RAND's Brian Michael Jenkins uses this unusual chapter in history to discuss what can happen when nuclear states are threatened by revolts, coups, and civil wars.
Read More »
Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
A Delicate Deterrence Dance with North Korea
Andrew Scobell
Apr 11, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
How does Washington signal tenacity to a pugnacious Pyongyang and demonstrate resolve to a jittery Seoul, all without inadvertently triggering an escalatory spiral?
Read More »
Preschool Children
commentary
Give Poor Kids a Chance with Early Education
Lynn A. Karoly
Apr 10, 2013
The Guardian
Federal and state initiatives to advance preschool program quality will further ensure that these investments in early learning programs will achieve their full promise and promote healthy child development — physically, socially, emotionally, and academically, writes Lynn Karoly.
Read More »
Global Security
blog
Korea Tensions Different from Previous 'Normal Crises,' RAND Experts Tell Media
Apr 9, 2013
Three RAND Corporation researchers discussed the regional and global implications of the recent flurry of bluster and provocation emanating from North Korea, during a conference call April 9 with reporters.
Read More »
Political Reform Movements
blog
In Brief: Jeffrey Martini on Mapping Egyptian Politics
Jeffrey Martini
Apr 8, 2013
In this video, RAND Middle East analyst Jeffrey Martini discusses what past electoral performance and the current political context say about the Islamists' strength in Egypt and what it means for the United States.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
Why It's No Longer the Chummy 1990s for Turkey, Israel
F. Stephen Larrabee
Apr 8, 2013
Christian Science Monitor
President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry are working hard to repair relations between Turkey and Israel and deserve credit for their efforts. But much has changed for both countries since they cooperated in the 1990s, and progress toward rapprochement will likely be slow.
Read More »
Special Operations Forces
commentary
Special Ops Global Whack-a-Mole
Linda Robinson
Apr 7, 2013
USA Today and CFR
A new model for our nation's special forces could follow the approach used in Colombia and the Philippines, where special forces planned ongoing campaigns that use numerous advisory, civil affairs, and informational activities to address those governments' weaknesses in providing security and ending conflicts.
Read More »
Military Budgets and Defense Spending
commentary
Kill the Space Launch System to Save Human Spaceflight
Peter A. Wilson
Apr 5, 2013
Aviation Week & Space Technology
Even in the face of a budgetary spending cap and the ever-looming possibility of new cuts, NASA continues investing in a robust and diverse human spaceflight program. But with fiscal uncertainty expected to continue, it should consider reordering its spending priorities.
Read More »
Counterterrorism
commentary
The Benefits of U.S. Drones in West Africa
Seth G. Jones
Apr 5, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
The establishment of a U.S. base in Niger is intended to facilitate intelligence collection and will provide a more complete picture of militant movements in Niger, Mali, and other countries in the Sahel, writes Seth Jones. The U.S. will share this intelligence with Malian and French forces.
Read More »
Minority Populations
commentary
Iran's Forgotten Ethnic Minorities
Alireza Nader, Robert Stewart
Apr 4, 2013
Foreign Policy
Non-Persian ethnic minorities make up roughly 40 to 50 percent of Iran's population. Marginalized from society, they may choose a path of political apathy. On the other hand, Tehran's refusal to acknowledge minority rights may lead to future ethnic insurgencies and uprisings.
Read More »
blog
What Do We Know About Charter Schools? Moving Beyond the Talking Points
Apr 4, 2013
Since their inception in 1992, charter schools have been a lightning rod for controversy in the education policy world. Research highlights the importance of moving beyond test scores and broadening the scope of measures that evaluate success in order to fully assess the performance of charter schools.
Read More »
Global Security
blog
In North Korea, Belligerence Precludes Progress
Apr 3, 2013
North Korean belligerence is preventing it from moving toward critical economic reform, says Richard Solomon, a senior fellow at the RAND Corporation and former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.
Read More »
Military Budgets and Defense Spending
blog
Upcoming: A Conversation with Former Defense Secretary Harold Brown
Apr 3, 2013
At an event on April 9, 2013, former Defense Secretary Harold Brown will discuss how to align America's interests, values, and defense budget to meet the nation's current challenges.
Read More »
Affordable Care Act
commentary
Helping Obama—and Other Americans—Weigh Which Health Insurance Exchange to Pick
Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice, Amado Cordova, Evan Saltzman
Apr 1, 2013
The RAND Blog
Multistate plans are most likely to appeal to out-of-state students, interstate migrants, out-of-state workers, seasonal movers (e.g., “snowbirds”), and similar groups that require improved access to health care across state lines.
Read More »