2016

blog

Conversations at RAND: Howard J. Shatz on the International Economy

One of the contentious issues in this year's presidential election campaign is the U.S. role in the global economy. A RAND panel offers strategies for the next president, who will face a troubled landscape.

commentary

Rethinking Data Privacy

Society benefits from the exchange of large-scale data in many ways. Anonymization is the usual mechanism for addressing the privacy of data subjects. Unfortunately, anonymization is broken.

Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba, John S. Davis II

commentary

The World Has Passed the Old Grand Strategies By

The international order is in the midst of an epochal shift, and a new administration will have to rethink basic organizing concepts for America's role in the world. The truth about grand strategy today is that the United States badly needs new options.

Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr

commentary

Being Safer in the Arctic

The Arctic is more accessible than it once was, but it's still a formidable place to travel. An emergency involving a cruise ship or a downed plane could stress the search-and-rescue system. But modest investments and planning measures can make a big difference.

Abbie Tingstad, Timothy William James Smith

commentary

Drug Dependence: Treatment Over Incarceration

Drug dependence imposes significant costs to society and traditional criminal justice responses like imprisonment do not reduce crime. More quality research on alternative sanctions could help police, prosecutors, and judges expand their options while helping users get treatment.

Matthew Davies, Emma Disley, et al.

essay

Election 2016: The Domestic Issues

RAND offers a unique take on the big domestic issues facing America: research that is independent, reliable, and rigorously nonpartisan.

commentary

Book Review: 'Bourgeois Equality'

In Bourgeois Equality, economist and historian Deirdre McCloskey advances the theory that ideas — not capital, institutions, innovation, R&D, tax policy, monetary policy, or regulatory policy — are the propelling force behind economic and societal growth.

Charles Wolf, Jr.

q&a

Russia's Determination to Revise the Post-Cold War Order

As long as political will for military measures to contain and deter Russian aggression remains limited, sustaining sanctions against Russia remains the only option to deal with a nation that is determined to revise the post-Cold War political and economic settlement in Europe in its favor.

Christopher S. Chivvis

commentary

Whoever Wins the Presidency, the Next Big International Crisis Will Come from Iran

The next U.S. president is likely to meet many international crises after taking office, and Iran may be one of the most challenging. The continuing climate of repression, the next Iranian presidential election, and Khamenei's eventual demise may provide some important opportunities for him or her.

Alireza Nader

commentary

The DNC Hack: Are New Norms Needed?

A new norm that would hold the Russian DNC hack to be unacceptable could not rest on a general prohibition against cyber-espionage or political interference. It would have to combine both prohibitions at once.

Martin C. Libicki

commentary

Invisible Wounds: Closing the Gaps to More Effectively Address These Injuries

Too few of the veterans who experience mental health issues get the help they need. Even fewer get the right care. Closing these gaps will require raising awareness about the barriers to care, and changing how the mental health care system is organized and delivers services.

Terri Tanielian

commentary

Keep Chemical Weapons Out of Terrorist Hands

As the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front seized territory in Syria and northern Iraq, they came upon military sites with chemical munitions and industrial facilities with toxic chemicals. Reducing such opportunities should be a priority.

John V. Parachini @JohnParachini

commentary

The Brains Behind Autonomous Vehicles May Need a License to Drive

Autonomous vehicles require exquisite software. To make this software secure, industry and government should consider educational standards and licensure requirements for the engineers who create it.

Isaac R. Porche III

commentary

Free School Meals Are Still the Best Measure of Deprivation

Free school meal eligibility is not a perfect measure of student disadvantage, but it's the best there is. Other measures, such as parental education or neighborhood deprivation have also been used, but they are not as good at determining which schools are most in need.

Alex Sutherland

commentary

U.S. More Able Than Ever to Combat Terrorism

Acts of pure terrorism are truly arbitrary and extremely difficult to protect against, but they are rare. Improved domestic counterterrorist efforts have uncovered and interrupted close to 90 percent of jihadist terrorist plots in the U.S. since 9/11.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins