July 2014

United States
blog
A Summer Reading List for Congress
Jul 31, 2014
No matter how policymakers spend their break—meeting with home-state constituents, traveling abroad with congressional delegations, or spending time with family—this summer reading list contains policy ideas that can help them hit the ground running when they return.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
An Evil Wind
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jul 31, 2014
Slate
The threat of global terrorist enterprises has been enhanced by Western fighters joining al Qaeda offshoots like the Islamic State. With the terrorist threat evolving, the United States has little choice but to evolve with it.
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Terrorist Bombings
commentary
TSA's Cellphone Rule Part of Deadly Race
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jul 29, 2014
CNN
While placing explosives inside a cellphone is plausible, it is almost impossible to do so with iPhones without rendering them non-functional, which is why the TSA is now checking cell phones are actually working.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
Streamlining Congressional Oversight of DHS
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
Jul 29, 2014
The RAND Blog
At a time when terrorist threats abound both at home and abroad, the DHS and Congress should be working as one to bolster America's defenses. To do this Congress should simplify the way it oversees homeland security.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
France Gets Tougher on Terrorism
Michael Shurkin
Jul 29, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
The launch of Barkhane, a new military operation by France, signals a change. Rather than simply reacting to an emergency as it did in Mali, France is committing to a long-term counterterrorism campaign, a much greater and more public commitment. This is welcome news for the United States.
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Health Insurance
commentary
RAND Helps to Develop From Coverage to Care, a New CMS Initiative
Laurie T. Martin, David M. Adamson
Jul 29, 2014
The RAND Blog
Health coverage is a means to an end: the aim is to help more Americans use their coverage to access routine primary care and preventive services. For many of the newly insured, however, the leap between obtaining insurance and establishing a regular source of care is substantial.
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Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias
commentary
Demographics Add Urgency for Action on Dementia Long-Term Care
Esther M. Friedman @friedmanEM
Jul 28, 2014
Modern Healthcare
Dementia takes a huge toll on those afflicted with it. But it also has major consequences for those who must care for them, most often family and friends.
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Health Care Quality Measurement
commentary
Putting Patients First Can Result in Better Care Overall
Rebecca Anhang Price, Marc N. Elliott, Ron D. Hays
Jul 28, 2014
The RAND Blog
Better patient care experiences are associated with higher levels of adherence to recommended prevention and treatment processes, better clinical outcomes, better patient safety within hospitals, and less health care utilization.
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Health Care Quality Measurement
commentary
The ACA's Opportunity to Improve Care for Substance Use Disorders
Katherine E. Watkins
Jul 28, 2014
The RAND Blog
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will significantly increase coverage for the publicly funded treatment of substance use disorders. But in order to maximize the benefit to patients, families, and society, it's critical to invest in the development, validation, and use of performance measures.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
Gaza and the Nuclear Negotiations
Dalia Dassa Kaye
Jul 28, 2014
Foreign Affairs
Whether a deal materializes that meets Iranian demands for a civilian nuclear program, but is limited enough to satisfy the United States and its partners remains to be seen. But the longer the Gaza conflict continues, the harder it'll be to insulate the negotiations from broader regional trends, which doesn't bode well for a successful outcome.
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Ukraine
commentary
A Missile's Deadly Message
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Jul 25, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
Putin's stubbornness on Ukraine has attracted international scorn, threatened Russia's already shaky economy, and focused NATO on countering potential Russian aggression. It's also sparked anti-Russian and pro-NATO sentiments in Central and Eastern Europe. The tragic loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 only intensifies these sentiments.
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Health Screening
commentary
Should You Get Screened for Heart Disease?
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Jul 24, 2014
Sister to Sister
Many think of cardiovascular disease (CVD) primarily as a male problem. But one in three adult women has some form of CVD, which has killed more American women than men every year since 1984. Cardiovascular risk assessments can help women understand their current risk and health behaviors.
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Obesity
commentary
What's Behind the Obesity Epidemic? Easily Accessible Food, and Lots of It
Roland Sturm
Jul 22, 2014
The Health Care Blog
That no group is immune to rising obesity rates suggests that universal environmental factors are driving the trend. The clearest change concerns food availability and cost.
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Gaza Strip
blog
With the Death Toll Rising in Gaza, Is There Any Hope for Peace?
Jul 22, 2014
Casualties are rising in the conflict between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. Are there any realistic expectations for peace in the region? Who could broker a settlement between Hamas and Israel?
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Iraq
commentary
Defeating the Islamic State: Crafting a Regional Approach
Douglas A. Ollivant, Terrence Kelly
Jul 22, 2014
warontherocks.com
While ISIL may achieve temporary tactical gains from declaring the caliphate, it made the strategic error of declaring all other Sunni political actors illegitimate. This may provide an opening to build a coalition that can create and implement a regional strategy to attack ISIL.
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Ukraine
blog
Like Flight 370, the MH17 Crash in Ukraine Could Remain a Mystery
Jul 18, 2014
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was reportedly shot down yesterday near the Russia-Ukraine border. But like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished in March, what happened to MH17 is shrouded in mystery.
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Air Transportation
commentary
3 Weapons That Threaten Commercial Planes
Carl Rhodes @CarlRhodes
Jul 18, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
It's relatively rare that commercial aircraft are targeted with weapons built primarily to attack military aircraft, but there are a range of potential threats from such weapons. Given that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was reportedly at 33,000 feet when contact was lost, it seems impossible that the attack could have occurred using a shoulder-fired missile.
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Physical Exercise
commentary
I'm Too Busy for Exercise I Just Don't Have the Time
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Jul 17, 2014
Sister to Sister
As hard as it can be to make time for exercise, failing to do so isn't a time-saver. It might seem so for a day or two, but you will feel the result of not exercising in the reductions in your energy, ability to focus and cope, and in your quality of sleep.
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Indonesia
commentary
Good Guy Gamble: What to Expect from Indonesia's Jokowi
Jonah Blank
Jul 17, 2014
Foreign Affairs
The preliminary verdict of Indonesia's presidential election suggests that nice guys can finish first. That could be good news for Indonesia, Southeast Asia, the United States, and the world. But that comes with two big caveats: The initial results must be confirmed by the final tally, and the losing candidate must accept that he has lost.
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commentary
Should the U.S. Rely on Russian Rocket Engines?
Jul 16, 2014
The RAND Blog
One of the two launch vehicles that lift U.S. satellites into orbit depends on a rocket engine made by a company located in Russia. Russia's recent clashes with Ukraine and its claims on the Crimean peninsula have caused friction with the United States and thereby raised questions among U.S. policymakers about the potential for an interruption in the supply of the engines.
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Data Privacy
commentary
License Plate Readers and Right to Privacy
Keith Gierlack
Jul 15, 2014
The Orange County Register
License plate reader technology can be a force multiplier for law enforcement. Its ability to identify license plates of interest to police in real-time makes it an effective tool but there is also potential for abuse. Law enforcement authorities should address credible privacy concerns.
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Global Security
commentary
Iraq Makes Strange Bedfellows
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jul 15, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
In seeking to quell the unrest in Iraq, the United States must balance its own interests with those of a diverse cast of players that includes Iraq, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, an unpredictable and violent jihadist front and others.
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Immigrants and Emigrants
commentary
With Child Migrants Set to Become Students, Educators Must Prepare
Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Robert Bozick
Jul 14, 2014
The RAND Blog
Between 70,000 and 90,000 unaccompanied children are expected to cross the U.S.-Mexico border by year's end. Lost in an intensifying debate over U.S. immigration policy is the possibility that this wave will spill from shelters to schools. To best respond to this reality, policymakers and educators should consider what research says about educating migrant children.
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Iraq
commentary
Further Observations on the Situation in Iraq
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jul 14, 2014
The Hill
It is difficult to see how the United States can favorably affect the situation in Iraq without making a costly and risky investment. But that does not mean doing nothing. An immediate objective is to contain the conflict.
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Drug Policy and Trends
commentary
Taking a Sober Look at Legalizing Marijuana
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Jul 13, 2014
San Francisco Chronicle
California and a handful of other states will probably vote on legal pot in 2016. Here are five suggestions to help policymakers who want to promote productive discussions.
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Developing Countries
commentary
Could Alternatives Ease the Misery of South Africa's Housing Crisis?
Julia Pollak
Jul 10, 2014
The RAND Blog
The government's plan to replace cardboard shacks with cement houses may not be the only route to easing South Africa's housing woes. Increasingly, academic researchers, non-governmental organizations, and private companies are demonstrating pragmatic, low-cost, alternatives.
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Diet and Eating Habits
commentary
Take the Morality Out of Health Choices: Stop the Blame Game
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Jul 10, 2014
Sister to Sister
Framing positive health behaviors as good or virtuous and less effective or harmful ones as bad trips most people up on a regular basis. People would do well to think of positive health behaviors—such as getting a good night's sleep or eating healthy foods—as doing what works, rather than as being virtuous.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
The Power to Coerce
David C. Gompert, Hans Binnendijk
Jul 10, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
Because the United States has relied so heavily on force, we tend to equate it with power. Some results can only be achieved through force, but coercion can be an effective substitute. A superpower, by definition, has many options to have its way without always needing to send troops into battle -- a smart superpower will use those options.
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Caregivers
commentary
Parallel Caregiver Crises, Military and Civilian
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Jul 9, 2014
The Hill
Among American caregivers, there are two expanding populations: those caring for military servicemembers struggling with physical or emotional wounds of war and those looking after people with dementia. Both face incalculable financial stresses and threats to their own health as a result of their caregiving roles.
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Urban Planning
commentary
How Smart Are Our European Cities?
Catriona Manville
Jul 9, 2014
The RAND Blog
The urban population is expected to double by 2050, when seven out of every 10 people will live in cities. Poverty, inequality, unemployment, and energy management challenges are also expected to increase. One potential solution is the concept of the 'smart city.'
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Japan
commentary
Why Japan's Military Shift Is Necessary for South Korea
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Jul 7, 2014
The Wall Street Journal
With its collective self-defense policy, Japan assumes its responsibilities to support the defense of South Korea and regional security in general, an appropriate action given the economic and other independencies of the regional countries.
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Summer Learning
blog
Ask Me Anything: Catherine Augustine on Summer Learning
Jul 3, 2014
With summer now underway, RAND's Catherine Augustine hosted an
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Can U.S. and Iran Work Together in Iraq?
Alireza Nader
Jul 3, 2014
Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
The presence of Iranian and American troops in Iraq may necessitate clear and direct communications between the two sides, at least to prevent misunderstanding and greater chaos. But Washington should tread carefully and focus on nuclear negotiations for now.
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Health Behaviors
commentary
Improving Your Health: Small Steps Can Yield Big Benefits
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Jul 2, 2014
Sister to Sister
It is worth making changes in your everyday choices and actions in order to improve your health. Real benefits in terms of increases in energy, improved sleep, and reduced cardiovascular disease risk are attainable.
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Transportation Safety
commentary
What if Distracted Driving Was Safe?
James M. Anderson
Jul 1, 2014
The RAND Blog
According to consumer research, the ability to consume media, write an email, or even sleep during transport is a key selling point for autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars), which could be widely available in the fairly near future. Autonomous vehicle technology could also produce a wide range of public benefits.
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