August 2017

Financial Decision Making
commentary
Why More Young Workers Are Relying on Financial Help from Parents
Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist
Aug 31, 2017
The RAND Blog
As today's young adults grapple with a difficult job market, high tuition costs, and rapidly rising rents, parents are increasingly providing financial support and other forms of assistance.
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Nation Building
commentary
President Trump's Recommitment to Nation-Building in Afghanistan
Laurel E. Miller
Aug 30, 2017
Newsweek
In his speech on Afghanistan, President Trump maintained his stance against nation-building. But like President Obama's policy, the refreshed approach hinges on the U.S. developing Afghan government capabilities to fight the Taliban, provide for the country's long-term security, and serve as a counterterrorism partner.
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commentary
Many Americans Face Bullying, Harassment, and Abuse at Work, but Bosses Can Help
Kathleen J. Mullen, Jeffrey B. Wenger
Aug 30, 2017
The RAND Blog
Workers are experiencing high levels of hostile behaviors at work. Nearly one in five American workers have been subjected to some form of verbal abuse, unwanted sexual attention, threats, or humiliating behavior at work, with younger non-college educated workers bearing the most risk.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
Countering Chinese Coercion: The Case of Doklam
Oriana Skylar Mastro, Arzan Tarapore
Aug 29, 2017
War on the Rocks
India and China have agreed to end a two-month border confrontation in the Doklam area claimed by both China and Bhutan. The immediate crisis seems to be over, but it offers insights into Chinese coercive strategies and how they may be thwarted.
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Autonomous Vehicles
commentary
What Autonomous Vehicles Could Mean for American Workers
Nidhi Kalra
Aug 29, 2017
The RAND Blog
Autonomous vehicles are projected to hit American roads within the next few years. They promise safer transportation, greater mobility for millions of Americans, and other benefits. But they will also have enormous impacts on the workforce.
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Terrorism Financing
commentary
Hezbollah Has Been Active in America for Decades
Colin P. Clarke
Aug 28, 2017
The National Interest
Hezbollah has been active inside the United States for decades, engaging in a range of activities that include fundraising and money laundering. The U.S. and its allies should continue to combat the financing of terrorism and take action against the funding of terrorist groups on U.S. soil.
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Mental Health and Illness
commentary
Why the Mental Ill Health of Academic Researchers Remains a Hidden Problem
Susan Guthrie, Catherine A. Lichten
Aug 28, 2017
Times Higher Education
The mental health and well-being of higher education staff is a significant challenge, probably even more so than the evidence indicates.
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commentary
Campaign for Fair Food Makes a Real Difference
Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis
Aug 25, 2017
Tampa Bay Times
The Fair Food Program protects farmworkers while providing corporations with transparency in their supply chains and tremendous brand protection. It has been widely recognized for improving agricultural working conditions and for changing the culture of America's farm fields.
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Communication Systems
blog
How RAND Helped Cable TV Spread Far and Wide
Aug 25, 2017
In the late 1960s and early '70s, RAND released a series of reports about cable television — the technology, federal and state regulation, and its use in education. The researchers' interactive vision for cable TV was a lot like the internet.
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Health Insurance Cost Sharing
commentary
Four Steps That Could Stabilize the Health Insurance Market
Christine Eibner @Chrissyeibner
Aug 25, 2017
The Hill
Congress will soon discuss options to stabilize the individual market and ensure that all Americans have access to affordable coverage. Policymakers could encourage enrollment, make targeted investments to lower premiums, fund cost-sharing reductions, and enforce the individual mandate.
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Nuclear Weapons and Warfare
commentary
'Game of Thrones' Dragons, Nuclear Weapons, and Winning Whatever the Cost
Michael Shurkin
Aug 24, 2017
Scientific American
HBO's hit series “Game of Thrones” may be fantasy, but it explores many challenges that are familiar to real-world leaders. The military use of dragons and the dilemma these beasts pose is one recent example.
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commentary
What Afghanistan Needs to Move Forward: A Political Solution
S. Rebecca Zimmerman
Aug 24, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
Although the U.S. military's role in maintaining stability has been crucial, a real solution needs to consider Afghan politics first. The United States and the international community should push for parliamentary elections to build confidence between the government and the people.
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Cybercrime
commentary
Gaming Policy in Cyberspace
Michelle Price, Igor Mikolic-Torreira
Aug 23, 2017
Policyforum.net
Hacked devices and intellectual property theft are a rich hunting ground for policy development. The challenge posed by Internet-connect devices is only getting worse as the number of online devices continues to grow.
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Political Reform Movements
q&a
The Post–Arab Spring Experience: Q&A with Shelly Culbertson
Aug 23, 2017
It's too early to say whether the Arab Spring will turn out to be a success or not. The Arab Spring was about people deciding what they did not want and rising up against it, but they hadn't worked out what they did want. Many of them still have hope.
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Afghanistan
commentary
Trump's New Afghanistan Strategy: Governing from the Center?
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Aug 22, 2017
The Hill
The president has embraced a national security establishment strategy for Afghanistan with a veneer that does not alter its essence. The result is likely to disappoint some of his supporters and to be criticized by his opponents, but it will also secure a measure of bipartisan support.
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Arms Proliferation and Control
commentary
How We Can Keep Iran from Becoming the Next North Korea
Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr
Aug 22, 2017
Fortune
The United States brokered an agreement to constrain North Korea's nuclear program 25 years ago, but hard-liners abandoned it with vague intentions of coercing the North into something better. They never did, and now a runaway North Korean program poses real danger. This offers a powerful reason to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.
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