2017

blog

When RAND Applied Weapons Research to Health Care Delivery

In the 1970s, it was assumed that new physicians wouldn't set up practice in America's small towns. RAND economists used software originally designed to estimate damages from a nuclear bomb to calculate the effects of placing doctors in specific locations.

commentary

New York Terror Attack: Can Vehicle Attacks Be Prevented?

The recent vehicle attack in Manhattan was the deadliest terror attack on New York since 9/11. Preventing every attack is unrealistic, but with increased vigilance, cooperation with law enforcement, and intelligence sharing, citizens can help mitigate the threat of terrorism.

Colin P. Clarke

commentary

Abe's Victory and Constitutional Revision

After Japan's election, observers immediately began speculating about its impact on constitutional reform. While parties in favor of constitutional revision have secured enough seats to pass the legislative hurdle needed to revise Japan's basic law, the road ahead is much more complicated.

Jeffrey W. Hornung, Kenneth M. McElwain

commentary

Killing Iran's Economy Won't Help the U.S.

Iran's economy is likely to be damaged by any new U.S. sanctions, with foreign investment having already slowed in response to President Trump's rhetoric. The biggest losers will not be the Iranian regime but the Iranian people, whose striving the U.S. has long hoped would bring about a less antagonistic Iran.

Alireza Nader

commentary

Candy Out of Sight, Out of Mind

CVS is cutting back on candy at the cash register, making junk food less visible and "healthier" snacks easier to find. Any move that nudges consumers toward healthier choices should be applauded, but CVS could take the lead as a retailer and do away with junk food displays by the cash register altogether.

Deborah A. Cohen

commentary

Military Power Cannot Close the Defense Strategy Gap

As defense debates heat up this season, most of the noise will be around how to use defense investments. But it’s time to consider the radical notion that the best answer to strategic insolvency isn’t budgetary. It’s not even military. It is geopolitical and diplomatic.

Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr

commentary

Reauthorizing DHS: Contemplating Major DHS Organizational Realignments

As Congress considers DHS reauthorization, having clear organizational realignment principles could help assess the degree to which expectations will be met. Those principles could examine whether mission effectiveness would improve and whether implemented changes would introduce new issues.

Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

commentary

The Real Questions We Should Be Asking About Niger

In the wake of the deaths of four U.S. servicemen in Niger, Americans are embroiled in a pointless political squabble. The focus should be on developing a greater understanding of the risks and benefits of U.S. counterterrorism operations abroad.

Philip Mudd, Andrew Liepman

announcement

RAND Is Accepting Applications for Stanton Nuclear Security Fellowships

RAND is accepting applications for up to three Stanton Nuclear Security Fellows. The application deadline is January 15, 2018. The program was created to stimulate the development of the next generation of thought leaders on nuclear security.

essay

Military Caregivers Share the Costs of War

Millions of veterans and service members receive care from family and friends who need support as well. Military caregivers sacrifice their time, their jobs, and even their health to provide a service worth billions of dollars to the United States.

commentary

Tracking Global Trends in Open Peer Review

Open peer review is happening in a variety of forms, but it still accounts for a small percentage of reviews carried out, and it is not clear whether open peer review is increasing in usage. In the future, as the Publons dataset grows, it will be worth exploring the data in more detail.

Sarah Parks, Salil Gunashekar

q&a

Oil, Extortion Still Paying Off for ISIS

ISIS's oil revenues declined from a peak of $40 million per month in 2015 to $4 million per month as of early October 2017. Despite the massive reduction, it's still a substantial amount of money for a group whose expenditures decrease with the size of the population and territory it controls and decreased recruitment.

blog

Beyond the Headlines: RAND's Christine Eibner Discusses Health Care Reform

The issue of how to improve health care in the United States is complicated. At a RAND event, senior economist and Paul O'Neill Alcoa Chair in Policy Analysis Christine Eibner discussed modifications to the Affordable Care Act and the long-term outlook for health care reform.

commentary

In Britain's Approach to Free Child Care, Lessons for the U.S.

If public school in America is free for kindergarten through high school, why not extend the same guarantee for the earliest years, when the potential impact is greatest? The United States can learn from Britain's experience in this area.

Barbara Janta

commentary

Despite Tillerson, U.S. Won't Abandon Pakistan for India

There is no new U.S. policy towards Pakistan and there won't be one soon. As long as the U.S. has troops in neighboring Afghanistan, it will be reliant on Pakistan for logistical support, transit, and Islamabad's influence with both the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani Network.

Jonah Blank