November 2015

Security Cooperation
commentary
Book Review: 'Strategic Asia 2015-16, Foundations of National Power in the Asia-Pacific'
Timothy R. Heath
Nov 30, 2015
War on the Rocks
Which nations have the resources and motivations to either cooperate with or frustrate Washington's designs? What liabilities and assets reside with each country? The book, Strategic Asia 2015-16, surveys some of the most powerful nations in Asia with such questions in mind.
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Arctic Region
commentary
It's Getting Harder and Harder to Live on Top of the World
Timothy William James Smith
Nov 30, 2015
Newsweek
In September, a relatively new kind of storm, made possible due to larger swaths of ice-free Arctic Ocean, battered Barrow, Alaska, washing away chunks of coastline, threatening businesses, houses, and the freshwater supply. While mitigation efforts are necessary on a macro level, adaptation measures are needed now for such Arctic communities.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
Brussels Locked-Down Heartbeat: A View from Within
Ines von Behr, Sonja Thebes
Nov 27, 2015
The RAND Blog
To understand Molenbeek, the Brussels district that can be linked to most of the terror attacks on European soil in the past 18 months, it's necessary to examine the broader political and cultural context in Belgium.
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United Kingdom
commentary
The SDSR: A Step Forward, but Questions Remain
Hans Pung
Nov 27, 2015
The RAND Blog
The United Kingdom's Strategic Defence and Security Review contains a number of commitments that will be welcomed by defense and security experts. But some unanswered questions will play a critical role in determining the overall success of Britain's security strategy.
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Refugees
commentary
France Is Right to Stay the Course
Stephanie Pezard @StephaniePezard
Nov 25, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
President Hollande announced that 30,000 Syrian refugees would be welcomed in France, honoring the commitment France made to its European partners before the Paris attacks. Altering its policy would only give the terrorists what they want.
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Health Insurance Cost Sharing
commentary
What Happens If the ACA's Tax Credits Are Replaced with Premium Support?
Evan Saltzman, Christine Eibner @Chrissyeibner
Nov 24, 2015
The Commonwealth Fund Blog
As policymakers consider alternatives to reduce the federal government's financial burden from providing subsidies under the ACA, they should consider the consequences for enrollees. Existing premium-support models yield considerable savings for the federal government but could create age and income disparities in coverage.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
COP 21 Not a Silver Bullet on Climate Change
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert
Nov 24, 2015
The RAND Blog
The Paris climate conference cannot provide the engine that will drive a solution to the world's climate change challenge. Rather, it can best serve as a mediator that will help guide and structure the swirling, bottom-up process of radical change that is the best hope of preserving Earth's climate.
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Nuclear Sciences
announcement
RAND Is Accepting Applications for Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships
Nov 23, 2015
RAND is accepting applications for up to three Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows. The application deadline is February 8, 2016. The program was created to stimulate the development of the next generation of thought leaders on nuclear security.
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Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
A Comprehensive Approach to Early Education
Gail L. Zellman, M. Rebecca Kilburn
Nov 23, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
A relatively new approach to improving long-term educational outcomes, called “preschool to third grade,” or P-3, focuses on the youngest students. Hawaii's recent initiative has been successful at raising third-grade reading scores.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Improving the U.S. Security Assistance Model
Michael Shurkin
Nov 18, 2015
The Cipher Brief
The United States often approaches security assistance the same way it did in Vietnam, with the same results. A better way would be to focus on politics and shaping the political context.
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commentary
Flirting with Genocide in Burundi: Paying Attention Could Save Lives
Michael Shurkin
Nov 18, 2015
Newsweek
Burundi has been afflicted by political violence since April. President Pierre Nkurunziza, who helped bring peace to the country in the last decade, is risking everything for the sake of staying in power. He is dragging the country backwards after 10 years of progress.
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Teachers and Teaching
announcement
Harold and Colene Brown Endow Faculty Chair at Pardee RAND Graduate School
Nov 18, 2015
The Harold and Colene Brown Faculty Chair will enable exceptional RAND researchers and faculty to be in residence at the school each year, allowing them to work on independent research and provide mentorship and guidance to students.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
ISIS Will Become More Deadly Before It Dies
Seth G. Jones
Nov 18, 2015
Slate
The lesson with ISIS is straightforward. Western populations should be prepared for an upsurge in violence if ISIS continues to lose territory. There has already been a growth in attacks and plots across the West with operational or inspirational ties to ISIS.
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France
commentary
Insights on the Paris Terror Attacks from RAND Experts
Nov 17, 2015
RAND experts weigh in on what the wave of coordinated terror attacks across Paris means for France, the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, the global refugee crisis, and more.
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Military Strategy
commentary
The French Way of War
Michael Shurkin
Nov 17, 2015
Politico
There is a French way of warfare that reflects the French military's lack of resources and its modest sense of what it can achieve. They specialize in carefully apportioned and usually small but lethal operations, often behind the scenes.
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Educational Technology
commentary
Step Aside, 'Screen Time.' Make Room for 'Screen Purpose.'
Lindsay Daugherty
Nov 17, 2015
U.S. News & World Report
Technology is simply another way to communicate, learn, and play. It shouldn't automatically be regarded as a threat. Whether technology helps or harms children largely depends on how it is used.
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