November 2014

Russia
commentary
Putting Putin in His Place
Christopher S. Chivvis
Nov 26, 2014
U.S. News & World Report
Developing an effective and sustainable strategy to deal with the multi-layered problem that Putin's Russia has created requires deterring Russia while also engaging it. The U.S. and Europe should have confidence that they are up to the task.
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Iran
commentary
A Nuclear Extension Can Still Work, but Iran Must Show Flexibility
Alireza Nader
Nov 26, 2014
The Woodrow Wilson Center
The extension of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 is disappointing, but it's better than the alternatives. Now it's time for the Iranian government to show greater flexibility. It may have gained a few months, but in the long run, time is not on its side.
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Georgia (country)
commentary
Rough and Tumble of Building Democracy in Georgia
Kenneth Yalowitz, William Courtney @courtneywmh, Denis Corboy
Nov 26, 2014
The Woodrow Wilson Center
Leadership squabbles and instincts for retribution are testing Georgia's democracy. If leaders do not come together to strengthen the political system and governance, Georgia's future could hang in the balance.
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Principals
commentary
A Principal Role in Education
Susan M. Gates
Nov 26, 2014
The RAND Blog
Principals are second only to teachers as the most important school factor affecting student achievement, but their contributions are often underappreciated. They establish a vision that motivates the entire community, build a school culture that supports student learning, ensure resources are used effectively, and engage with the community.
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Data Privacy
commentary
ACTA Revisited? TTIP and Data Privacy
Marlon Graf
Nov 26, 2014
Atlantic Community
The EU has embarked on negotiations with the U.S. on the TTIP, which shares some of ACTA's goals. This time, though, the European Commission is seeking to make the talks more transparent by publishing a series of position papers on key issues very early on in the process. This is a step in the right direction toward an agreement that will have economic benefits for a net-exporting region of intellectual property such as the EU.
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Robust Decision Making
announcement
RAND's Collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Lab Shows How High-Performance Computing Could Revolutionize Decisionmaking
Nov 25, 2014
RAND's Emerging Policy Research and Methods Program has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's High Performance Computing Innovation Center to explore how high-performance computing could enable near-real-time policy and decision analysis through the use of complex, at-scale models.
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Air Warfare
commentary
NATO's Campaign in Libya Offers Salient Lessons for the Air War Against ISIL
Karl P. Mueller
Nov 25, 2014
Defense One
The NATO air campaign that helped defeat Qaddafi's regime in Libya has received relatively little mention in public discussion of the ongoing air strikes against ISIS. But the campaign in Libya offers at least five lessons that deserve greater attention today.
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Teachers and Teaching
commentary
Helping Teachers Overcome Technology Barriers in Early Childhood Education
Lindsay Daugherty, Rafiq Dossani
Nov 21, 2014
The RAND Blog
When it comes to helping children appreciate the benefits of using technology in a classroom setting, early childhood education providers play a critical role integrating that technology appropriately, intentionally, and productively. But these educators face myriad barriers to fulfilling these roles.
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Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
Celebrating the Success of Project Sapphire
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Susan Koch, Jeffrey Starr
Nov 21, 2014
The National Interest
Twenty years ago this week, the United States transported over 600 kilograms of at-risk, weapons-usable highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Kazakhstan to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for safekeeping. Kazakhstan had the courage to trust its new relationship with the U.S. to help prevent the proliferation of dangerous material to countries that might seek to build nuclear weapons.
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Child Well-Being
commentary
The Time Is Ripe for Evidence-Based Child Policy in the UK
Barbara Janta
Nov 20, 2014
Open Policy Making
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain. Even in the UK there are still children who live in poverty and inequality, who experience violence, and who are not afforded rights on par with their peers.
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Emerging Technologies
blog
Snapchat CEO Discusses App's Appeal, Future of Digital Communication
Nov 20, 2014
With technology a persistent theme throughout RAND's biennial Politics Aside event, it was only fitting that the proceedings closed with a conversation on social media between Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Pictures, and Evan Spiegel, the 24-year-old co-founder and CEO of Snapchat.
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Disaster Recovery Operations
blog
In the Wake of Disaster: Practical and Philosophical Challenges of Victim Compensation
Nov 20, 2014
When tragedy strikes, Kenneth Feinberg is often the person companies and governments turn to for help to determine appropriate monetary compensation. At RAND's Politics Aside event last week, he shared some of his thoughts on what goes into making those decisions, and why it's so important to meet with victims.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
When Jihadis Come Marching Home
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Nov 19, 2014
The Hill
The existing pool of determined jihadists in America is very small and lacks training and experience, which fighting in Syria and Iraq would provide. Returning jihadi veterans would be more formidable adversaries. Still, the threat appears manageable using current U.S. laws and existing resources.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
What's the Plan? The NATO Coalition in Afghanistan
Jason H. Campbell @JasonHCampbell
Nov 19, 2014
War on the Rocks
The imminent changes to the NATO mission in Afghanistan will be profound and, more crucially, carry unpredictable outcomes. After January 1, the removal of tens of thousands of coalition troops will trigger an inevitable period of adjustment as all sides involved in the conflict press for a new equilibrium that tilts in its favor.
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Weapons of Mass Destruction
commentary
N.K. WMDs Carry Catastrophic Potential
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Nov 19, 2014
The Korea Herald
The failure of the United States and South Korea to prevent North Korea from gaining significant quantities of weapons of mass destruction saddles those governments with serious military responsibilities, should North Korea go to war or should its government collapse.
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Veterans Health Care
commentary
Military Turns to Collaborative Care to Treat PTSD, Depression
Charles C. Engel @CharlesEngel
Nov 19, 2014
Psychiatric News
Collaborative care has been an important part of Army efforts to reach out to those struggling with PTSD and depression. It has brought a science-based solution to an essential military problem and has helped thousands of men and women in uniform in ways that also nudge the larger mental health system toward greater effectiveness for all Americans.
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