2015

Education Legislation
commentary
Strengthening Our Democracy Starts in School
Anna Rosefsky Saavedra
Dec 17, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
The teaching of civics and other social studies courses has hit hard times in most states, driven in part by accountability systems that reward schools for math and reading scores. Yet civic education is critical to the stability of our democracy and seems warranted now more than ever.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
COP21: Ambition and Momentum
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert, Debra Knopman, Jordan R. Fischbach
Dec 17, 2015
The RAND Blog
Negotiators in Paris achieved a historic breakthrough by adopting a fundamentally different, and likely more effective, institutional framework to address climate change. It builds on two concepts missing from past attempts to forge a global treaty: voluntary participation and adaptive policymaking.
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Iran
commentary
Iran: A Rising Cyber Power?
Martin C. Libicki
Dec 16, 2015
The Cipher Brief
Iran has several reasons to develop its cyber capabilities, but the broader overall motivation remains the same: Iran has accumulated enemies, which in turn has impelled it to develop techniques to keep them at bay.
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North Korea
commentary
Does North Korea Really Have an H-Bomb?
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Dec 16, 2015
CNN
Kim Jong Un has claimed that North Korea has an H-bomb. Whether this claim is accurate, or an exaggeration, remains to be seen. But it does highlight how the country's leadership culture requires Kim to periodically demonstrate his power.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
Climate Change Is a National Security Issue, but Not for the Reasons You Think
Neil Berg, Nicholas Burger
Dec 16, 2015
War on the Rocks
All U.S. policy decisions can and should be guided by clear evidence. Climate change policy is no exception. The United States should focus on addressing the clearest vulnerabilities, such as securing coastal defense infrastructure.
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Southeast Asia
commentary
Obama Doubles Down on Maritime Capacity Building in Southeast Asia
Lyle J. Morris @LyleJMorris
Dec 15, 2015
Asia Pacific Bulletin
By contributing to coast guard capacity building by donating ships and funding, the United States has found an important and politically viable avenue to bolster maritme security to partners and allies in Southeast Asia.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
Anonymous vs. ISIS: Wishing the Vigilante Hackers Luck Against the Murderous Jihadists
Michael A. Brown, Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Dec 14, 2015
New York Daily News
While ISIL uses the Internet to recruit fighters and incite violence, the Anonymous counter initiative could lower the volume of the online echo chamber, and yield support for the war against ISIL and its extremist ilk.
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Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Saving Lives After Tragedy
Mahshid Abir, Christopher Nelson
Dec 14, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Natural and man-made mass-casualty incidents are a growing threat. Evaluating successes and shortcomings after each crisis can contribute to the design and implementation of robust and resilient response systems and ensure the best possible outcomes for individuals and impacted communities.
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Health Care Price Competition
commentary
Bringing Sky-High Prescription Drug Prices Down to Earth
Erin Audrey Taylor
Dec 10, 2015
KevinMD.com
Increased competition among drug companies and improved bargaining power of insurers and consumers could help keep high prescription prices in check.
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Military Force Planning
commentary
Understanding the Abrams Doctrine: Myth Versus Reality
Conrad C. Crane, Gian Gentile
Dec 9, 2015
War on the Rocks
As the NCFA finishes up its work on the future of the Army it is worthwhile to note that the strategic context in which the Army operates and is organized has changed over time, resulting in different calculations of costs and risks.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
ISIS vs Special Ops
Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100
Dec 8, 2015
Foreign Affairs
However critical to the fight against ISIS, using special operations forces for raids represents only half of the needed military adjustment. The other half is the effort to build indigenous forces capable of taking and holding territory in Iraq and Syria.
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Domestic Terrorism
commentary
If Terrorism Is Homegrown, a Visa Overhaul Won't Keep Americans Safe
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Dec 7, 2015
The Guardian
Despite being the focus of renewed scrutiny, only three people involved in terrorist incidents have entered the United States via the visa waiver program in the past quarter-century.
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Africa
commentary
Africa Succeeds in Meeting Many Long-Term U.N. Development Goals
Mahlet Atakilt Woldetsadik
Dec 7, 2015
The RAND Blog
Over the past decade and half, Africa has made great strides toward meeting the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, eight objectives that included halving extreme poverty rates, providing universal primary education, and ending the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.
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Emerging Technologies
commentary
Keeping Hackers Away from Your Car, Fridge, and Front Door
Lillian Ablon
Dec 7, 2015
The National Interest
In the ever-growing Internet of Things, attackers already outpace the defenders. If developing solutions for software liability doesn't become more of a priority, there may be no winning this technological war.
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Analysing 'High Performance' Research Units in Higher Education
Catriona Manville
Dec 4, 2015
Open Forum Events
The characteristics that are central to high performance are people—as in recruiting and retaining the best—and the culture and values within the department, coupled with the leadership displayed.
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