2015

Economic Policy
commentary
Zero Interest, Greater Inequality?
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Nov 2, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Low interest rates mandated by the Federal Reserve may have had and possibly continue to have adverse effects on income inequality. Those who argue for continuing near-zero short-term interest rate policy should be cognizant of this.
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Syria
commentary
Partition Syria to Crush the Islamic State
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Nov 1, 2015
USA Today
The Islamic State will never join in any settlement. Peace in Syria therefore requires that everyone else stop fighting each other and join in suppressing the Islamic State.
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Russia
commentary
The West Needs to Take a Tougher Line with Putin
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Donald Jensen
Nov 1, 2015
Newsweek
By responding more robustly to Russia's interventions, the West could reduce military asymmetries in Ukraine and Syria and improve prospects for negotiated outcomes.
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China
commentary
How Will China Respond to Future U.S. Freedom of Navigation Operations?
Timothy R. Heath
Oct 29, 2015
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, CSIS
On October 27, the USS Lassen carried out the first freedom of navigation patrol to challenge China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. In assessing China's potential response to follow-on operations, the extremes of either complete inaction or a military attack can be ruled out.
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Smoking Cessation
commentary
Sniping: Homeless Youths' High-Risk Smoking Practice
Joan S. Tucker, William G. Shadel @william_shadel
Oct 29, 2015
Orange County Register
Any intervention to help homeless youth quit smoking must also address 'sniping.' This high-risk activity involves scavenging cigarette butts and filters to make a 'new' cigarette.
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Egypt
commentary
Partisans Without Parties
Emad Shahin, Jeffrey Martini
Oct 29, 2015
Foreign Affairs
It is tempting to describe Egypt's parliamentary elections as history repeating itself. Yet today's Egypt is not Mubarak's Egypt. Rather, it is a state transitioning from single-party rule to a new system whose pecking order is still being hashed out.
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Colombia
commentary
Bringing FARC in from the Cold
Arturo Munoz
Oct 28, 2015
Foreign Policy Concepts
The announcement of a preliminary peace accord by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government is not receiving public support. Most Colombians manifest a strong desire for peace but they reject the possibility that crimes committed in the name of revolution should receive amnesty.
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Veterans Employment
essay
Warriors in the Civilian Workforce: Helping Veterans Transition
Oct 28, 2015
Americans who served during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to face higher jobless rates than nonveterans. A growing body of RAND research has sought to identify what can help get more of them back on the job.
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Transportation Technology
commentary
When Public Trust in Corporations Is Shaken
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
Oct 28, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
The Volkswagen scandal comes at a time when the public's trust in both the automotive industry and tech companies is at risk. The level of public trust in an individual organization could end up burnishing — or infecting — an entire industry or new technology.
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Employment and Unemployment
announcement
RAND Named One of 50 Greatest Places to Work by Washingtonian
Oct 26, 2015
Washingtonian's biannual feature honors organizations that are recognized — by their employees — for excellent pay and benefits, challenging and interesting work, work/life balance, opportunities to learn and grow, commitment to charity and community, and the recognition and respect given to staff.
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Suicide
q&a
Helping the Most Vulnerable: Q&A with Rajeev Ramchand
Oct 26, 2015
Rajeev Ramchand discusses drug abuse, suicide, and how research can make a difference for society's most vulnerable.
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Artificial Intelligence
commentary
How to Overcome the Risks of Artificial Intelligence
Andrew J. Lohn @andrewjlohn, Andrew Parasiliti, William Welser IV
Oct 22, 2015
TIME
The warnings and promises of artificial intelligence aren't new, but advances in technology make them more pressing.
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Educational Institutions
commentary
The Shared Savings Model: An Innovative Way to Attack Rapidly Rising College Costs
Trey Miller, Van L. Davis
Oct 22, 2015
The RAND Blog
The challenge facing policymakers is how to lessen the college cost pressure felt by families while incentivizing institutions to innovate to reduce cost and improve quality. What if cost savings from increased productivity were quantified and a portion returned to institutions?
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Threat Assessment
commentary
Benghazi: Questions Unasked and Opportunities Missed
Radha Iyengar Plumb
Oct 22, 2015
War on the Rocks
Instead of asking whether a video precipitated the attack or whether Ambassador Stevens should have been in Benghazi on that fateful night, the right question to ask is under what conditions the United States should have a diplomatic presence in high-risk areas.
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Syria
commentary
Five Options for the U.S. in Syria
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Oct 21, 2015
The Hill
How should the United States respond to Russia's intervention in Syria's civil war? Here are five options intended to encourage rational thinking based upon realistic presumptions, not media or campaign-driven hype.
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