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June 2014

Iraq
commentary
A Long-Term Strategy for a Democratic Iraq
Ben Connable
Jun 30, 2014
War on the Rocks
Unfortunately, no strategic option for a unified, democratic Iraq has a good chance of success. But any well-considered option that doesn't involve ineffective killing or risking U.S. lives is preferable to simply allowing Iraq to disintegrate and feed broader regional instability.
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Transportation Security
commentary
Sounding the Car Alarm on Hackers
Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche, Timothy M. Bonds
Jun 30, 2014
The San Francisco Chronicle
Security protections on vehicles have not kept pace with systems that control safety features, navigation capabilities, and wireless communication functions. Onboard computer networks will likely become much more attractive to hackers, whether their aim is to steal a car, eavesdrop on a conversation, stalk a potential victim, or cause a devastating traffic accident.
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Counterterrorism
blog
Jones Named Head of International Security and Defense Policy Center at RAND
Jun 30, 2014
Seth Jones, a specialist in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism research, has been named director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation.
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Environmental Regulation
commentary
New Coal Plant Rules Need Sustained Support to Succeed
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert, Steven W. Popper
Jun 30, 2014
The Sacramento Bee
Stopping climate change will require the United States and the rest of the world to virtually eliminate emissions over the course of the 21st century. Getting anywhere close to zero emissions demands sustained political and public support, driven by an energy production sector given enough incentives to make carbon reduction succeed.
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Veterans Health Care
commentary
Private Mental Health Providers Must Stand Ready to Help Veterans
Mark Pollack, Terri Tanielian @TerriTanielian
Jun 27, 2014
The Hill
Not all veterans wish to seek services at or through the VA, and many may not meet eligibility criteria. The VA is a critical component of the health care delivery system for former U.S. servicemembers, but it cannot and should not comprise the system alone.
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Iran
commentary
The Fallacy of Iranian Leverage
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye
Jun 27, 2014
Foreign Affairs
Rather than helping Iran in the nuclear negotiations, Iran's battle against the ISIS could actually hurt it. The broader strategic dynamics were already working against Iran, and the situation in Iraq has only made that more true.
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Cardiovascular Disorders
commentary
Have You Estimated Your Cardiovascular Risk?
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Jun 26, 2014
Sister to Sister
Research suggests that setting a baseline by getting an estimate of your individual cardiovascular risk can help you see more clearly what you have at stake and what you can do to improve your chances of a long and healthy life.
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Financial Decision Making
commentary
Are Youth Putting Off Marriage Because of Their Student Loan Debt?
Robert Bozick
Jun 26, 2014
The RAND Blog
Women with higher loan balances may be less likely to get married than their peers with lower or no loan balances. But as time goes on, young adults adjust to their post-college financial situation and eventually get promotions, earn raises, obtain other assets, and get married.
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Emergency Services and Response
commentary
An Enduring Need for Better Measures of Emergency Preparedness
Brian A. Jackson
Jun 25, 2014
The RAND Blog
In an era of fiscal austerity, the need for measurement and assessment becomes manifold. Tied to good government goals and responsible stewardship of public funds, measurements are also necessary to educate the public about what it should—and should not—reasonably expect when disaster strikes.
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Economic Policy
blog
Former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole Urges Graduates to Use Storytelling to Advance Policy
Jun 24, 2014
Facts and objective analysis are important, but for policy analysts to make a difference in the real world they also have to be able to tell a story, former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole said at the June 21 Pardee RAND Graduate School commencement.
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Military Families
blog
Ask Me Anything: Rajeev Ramchand on Military Caregivers
Jun 24, 2014
With military caregivers quickly becoming a topic of national discussion, RAND's Rajeev Ramchand hosted an
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Nation Building
commentary
Is Afghanistan the Next to Crumble?
S. Rebecca Zimmerman @_rebeccaz
Jun 24, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
Amid the stunning rout of Iraqi forces in northern Iraq, many have asked whether a similar reversal of American foreign policy goals is possible in Afghanistan. The answer is a qualified yes. Now is the time for the United States to understand Afghanistan's coming struggle, and to help Afghans build a path to stability.
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Databases and Data Collection, Analysis, and Processing
commentary
How Do We Deal with a Flood of Data?
Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche, Bradley Wilson, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson
Jun 23, 2014
Future Force
Despite the value of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, the amount of data they generate has become overwhelming. If the Navy does not change the way it processes information, it will reach an ISR “tipping point”—as soon as 2016.
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Afghanistan
commentary
Victory, Afghan Style
Jonah Blank
Jun 23, 2014
Foreign Affairs
A good outcome in Afghanistan seems less likely now than it did a few weeks ago, but there is still cause for guarded optimism: before this electoral season began, few observers would have guessed that the final showdown would be between a pair of level-headed pro-Western moderates rather than two foul, bloodstained warlords.
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Environmental Sustainability
announcement
$5 Million Cazier Gift to Pardee RAND Graduate School Launches Environmental and Energy Sustainability Initiative
Jun 20, 2014
A $5 million gift from engineer and philanthropist John M. Cazier will turbocharge research in environmental and energy sustainability at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.
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Terrorism Risk Insurance
blog
RAND Research Influences Debate on Terrorism Insurance
Jun 19, 2014
To inform the debate on whether the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) should be continued or allowed to expire, RAND prepared policy briefs on three topics of central concern to policymakers: national security perspectives, the impact on federal spending, and the impact on workers' compensation markets.
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Iraq
commentary
On the Fall of Mosul
Kayla M. Williams
Jun 19, 2014
The Hill
Despite the belief that liberal democracy is the best system of government, America's own history clearly demonstrates that the path to it can be long and painful.
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Iraq
commentary
Iraq Observations
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jun 19, 2014
The Hill
Will the Obama administration be blamed for losing Iraq if it does not order military intervention? Or will history judge the president wise for keeping U.S. forces out of war? As Americans debate assisting Iraq, including the possibility of military intervention, here are 10 things to keep in mind.
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Soviet Union
announcement
Jeremy R. Azrael Scholarship Supports Students from Former Soviet States
Jun 19, 2014
The Jeremy R. Azrael Scholarship ensures that the graduate school can provide a full scholarship each year to a first-year student from a former Soviet state.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
blog
With More Opportunities for Recruitment, the ISIS Threat Could Grow
Jun 18, 2014
As the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) rolls through northern Iraq, taking two cities, Mosul and Tikrit, in as many days last week, experts are concerned not only about territory and resources seized by the militants, but also about growing opportunities for ISIS to bolster its ranks.
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Iraq
commentary
Would U.S. Air Power Work in Iraq?
Karl P. Mueller
Jun 18, 2014
CNN
With the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) making significant gains over the past week, including advancing closer to Baghdad, U.S. President Barack Obama is reportedly considering whether to deploy U.S. air power to assist Iraq's armed forces. But what would such an intervention mean in practical terms? And how effective an option would it be?
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Iraq
commentary
Obama's Iraq Dilemma
Patrick B. Johnston @J0HNST0N, Benjamin Bahney
Jun 17, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
On the surface, President Obama faces a classic foreign policy dilemma: The Iraqis are asking for U.S. military assistance to halt ISIS's dangerous offensive, but Obama has long promised the American people that he would withdraw the U.S. military from involvement in Iraq.
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Syria
commentary
Key to Iraq May Rest with Syria
William Young
Jun 16, 2014
USA Today
The answer to the fighting and instability in the region may lie in a negotiated settlement, which includes negotiating with Syrian President Bashar Assad, perhaps brokered through the Russians and Iranians. As unpalatable as it may be to the West, such a settlement would acknowledge the political and geographical realities on the ground.
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Parenting
commentary
Fathers Providing Childcare: Evidence from Europe
Barbara Janta
Jun 13, 2014
The RAND Blog
Father's Day offers a reason to examine how government policies encourage fathers to take a more active role in caring for their children. A particularly informative example can be found in the aspects of European family policy that relate to fathers' caregiving in the early years of children lives.
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Terrorist Organizations
commentary
The Risks of Rescue
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jun 13, 2014
The Ripon Forum
As appealing as a successful mission to rescue the 200 school girls held hostage by Boko Haram in Nigeria might appear, the use of U.S. military assets to mount a rescue attempt would be a mistake.
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Border and Port Security
commentary
Securing America's Ports by Better Measuring Capabilities
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis, Laura Patton
Jun 13, 2014
The RAND Blog
Funding for improving U.S. port security has declined from $389 million in 2008 to $100 million in 2014. This makes it more important than ever to ensure the highest possible return on investment from grant funding.
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Tobacco and Smoking
commentary
FDA's New Tobacco Rules Go Far Enough—For Now
William G. Shadel @william_shadel, Joan Tucker, Steven Martino
Jun 12, 2014
The Hill
At this point, asking the FDA to restrict marketing or to ban flavored products would be premature. The base of scientific evidence is growing but it doesn't support additional regulatory action beyond what the FDA has already proposed.
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Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002
commentary
3 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act Facts for Congress to Consider
Lloyd Dixon, Michael Dworsky, Tom LaTourrette, Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
Jun 12, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
With the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act set to expire this year, Congress is currently revisiting a crucial question: What is the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets? As the debate unfolds on Capitol Hill, policymakers should consider three key research findings.
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International Diplomacy
blog
China Unlikely to Blink in Maritime Dispute with Vietnam over Oil Rig
Jun 12, 2014
Tensions are rising in the South China Sea, where China moved a state-owned oil rig, reportedly accompanied by six warships, into disputed waters last month, triggering anti-Chinese demonstrations in Vietnam that resulted in four deaths. Beijing has denied reports indicating the presence of Chinese warships in the region, while Hanoi has threatened legal action.
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Educational Equity
commentary
Narrowing the Income Achievement Gap
Heather L. Schwartz
Jun 12, 2014
Education Week
The achievement gap between children from the highest- and lowest-income families has substantially grown since 1960. The income achievement gap is now about twice the size of the black-white achievement gap.
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Postsecondary Education
commentary
Four Approaches to Improve Higher Education in India Through Policies
Trey Miller, Megan Clifford
Jun 12, 2014
EduTech Magazine
In India, university enrolment has grown from 10 to 23 million from 2000 to 2013, and so has interest in improving access and quality. A review of research on higher-education policies on affirmative action, financial aid, private education, and vocational education identifies gaps in research on improving access and quality.
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Developing Countries
commentary
First Steps Toward Addressing DR Congo's Rape Crisis
Mahlet Atakilt Woldetsadik
Jun 11, 2014
The RAND Blog
An effort to address atrocities against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo has fallen short of advocates' hopes for justice. With its focus on criminal prosecution, the strategy failed to consider the weak infrastructure of the judicial system, left victims' needs unmet, and did little to address prevention.
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Epidemiology
commentary
An Outbreak of Outbreaks
Melinda Moore, Andrew M. Parker, Courtney A. Gidengil
Jun 11, 2014
The Health Care Blog
Lately, stories about outbreaks seem to be spreading faster than the diseases themselves. An outbreak of measles in Ohio is just part of an 18-year high of U.S. cases. Meanwhile, polio continues to circulate in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, while spreading to other countries, like Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Syria.
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Cardiovascular Disorders
commentary
5 Steps to Decrease Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Jun 11, 2014
Sister to Sister
Five steps could help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if you track your efforts: know your risk, increase physical activity, reduce sedentary time, improve nutrition, and get enough sleep.
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Developing Countries
commentary
Insurance and Incentives: A Dual Approach to Try to Improve Maternal Health in Nigeria
Adeyemi Okunogbe
Jun 10, 2014
The RAND Blog
Less than 5% of Nigerians have insurance; two-thirds of all health care costs are paid out of pocket. When people must pay out of pocket for health care at the point of service, this restricts access, excludes the poorest and most vulnerable, and leads to delays in patients seeking help.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
What Can Obama's $1 Billion Investment in European Security Actually Buy?
Christopher S. Chivvis
Jun 9, 2014
Foreign Policy
If the attention to the challenge posed by Russia dwindles as the immediate crisis in Ukraine fades out of the headlines, the problem will only get worse and more costly. A $1 billion investment will not solve the problem itself, but it's an important step in the right direction.
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Border and Port Security
blog
Saving Money by Using Advanced DoD Sensors on the U.S. Border
Dan Gonzales @gonzadan, Laura Patton
Jun 6, 2014
There is no legal reason why a DoD sensor should be excluded from use in an interagency technology demonstration or in an actual counterdrug operation as long as a valid request for support is made by an appropriate law enforcement official and no personally identifiable or private information on U.S. citizens is collected.
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Terrorist Organizations
blog
The Bergdahl-Taliban Prisoner Exchange Isn't New, but Presents Unique Questions
Jun 4, 2014
While it's been many years since the United States secured the release of a POW via prisoner exchange, RAND's Jonah Blank, a former Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff member, says that such deals are nothing new.
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Educational Technology
blog
RAND Convenes Experts to Examine Role of Technology in Early Childhood Education
Lindsay Daugherty
Jun 4, 2014
The forum focused on several key issues underlying successful integration of technology into early childhood settings, including the goals that should be established for technology use, the infrastructure that is needed to support effective technology use, and the role of teachers and parents in facilitating technology use.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
The Accelerating Spread of Terrorism
Seth G. Jones
Jun 3, 2014
The Wall Street Journal
The number of al Qaeda and other jihadist groups and fighters are growing, not shrinking. U.S. disengagement—or even risking the return of terrorists to the field by freeing them from detention—is not the answer to the threat they pose.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Let's Make a Deal: Iran Edition
Alireza Nader
Jun 2, 2014
The National Interest
Washington will strive to achieve the best deal for U.S. and allied interests. Iran may not like that; after all, Khamenei may want to preserve most of Iran's nuclear-weapons capability. But his regime is simply in no position to make such maximalist demands. Iran has to lower its expectations if it wants a deal.
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