2020

Employment and Unemployment
commentary
Without Unemployment Benefits, How Might Americans Make Ends Meet?
Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist
Dec 30, 2020
The RAND Blog
Do unemployment benefits keep people from accepting jobs? What effect do they have on the economy? Researchers and policymakers have been debating these issues since COVID-19 led to widespread job losses last spring.
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Economic Development
commentary
Why We 'Send Them Money'
Raphael S. Cohen
Dec 30, 2020
The Hill
Why does the United States send foreign countries American taxpayer money? The answer, in short, is because it serves U.S. self-interest to do so. Aid is not some act of charity at the American taxpayers' expense; it can help keep Americans safer, more prosperous, and secure.
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Vaccination
commentary
Vaccine Nationalism May Seem Inevitable, but There Are Real Economic Consequences
Marco Hafner
Dec 30, 2020
Business Insider
Vaccine nationalism, in which countries prioritize their domestic needs at the expense of others, will have significant global economic consequences. Major economies actually have more to gain by helping to make an effective COVID-19 vaccine widely available globally.
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India
commentary
China Isn't Backing Down in South Asia
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Dec 30, 2020
Observer Research Foundation
Much to India's frustration, China's influence is on the rise across South Asia. India will probably have to work overtime, and in concert with like-minded partners such as Australia, Japan, and the United States to complicate and rein in China's successes in the region.
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Students
commentary
Unpacking COVID-19's Long-Term Effects on Students
Jonathan Schweig, Andrew McEachin, Megan Kuhfeld
Dec 29, 2020
The RAND Blog
The pandemic has created an unprecedented set of obstacles for schools and exacerbated existing structural inequalities in public education. It may take years to understand how COVID-19 affected student learning and social and emotional development and to identify any lasting effects on low-income communities and communities of color.
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Arms Proliferation and Control
commentary
Arms Control Held Hostage
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Dec 28, 2020
The Hill
President-elect Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have wisely promised to extend the 2010 New START Treaty, which cuts long-range nuclear arms. The two leaders may also pursue a broader follow-on accord, but frigid U.S.-Russian relations could put this out of reach. Progress on arms control often comes when political winds are warmer.
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Educational Equity
commentary
Teleworking During the COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Educational Inequity
Jason M. Ward
Dec 23, 2020
The RAND Blog
The ability to telework is associated with both reduced risk of COVID-19 infection and with significantly lower risk of job loss. There are large disparities in who is able to telework by race and ethnicity—but even larger ones by educational attainment.
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Health Disparities
q&a
Medical Mistrust Could Reduce Vaccine Uptake: Q&A with Laura Bogart
Dec 23, 2020
Laura Bogart, a senior behavioral scientist, studies how discrimination feeds medical mistrust and conspiracy beliefs. Her research on how mistrust became a barrier to treatment for Black Americans during the HIV epidemic sheds light on why some might question the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations
commentary
What the First-Ever EU LGBTIQ Strategy Means for Rainbow Families with Children
Natalie Picken
Dec 21, 2020
EU Observer
Rainbow families can face challenges because of ongoing discrimination against LGBTIQ people. The first-ever EU strategy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, nonbinary, intersex, and queer equality unveiled in November sets out actions and initiatives to ensure the safety and equal rights of LGBTIQ people in the EU.
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Health and Wellness Promotion
commentary
Four Gifts for Your Mental Health This (Pandemic) Holiday Season
Kimberly A. Hepner @KimberlyHepner
Dec 21, 2020
USA Today
Our mental health relies on our ability to cope with and adapt to difficult situations, but the length and the scope of the impact of the pandemic on our lives is something most of us have never experienced. Here are four evidence-based strategies to support your mental health this holiday season.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
The Most Popular RAND Research of 2020
Dec 21, 2020
Here are the RAND research projects that resonated most in 2020, a year unlike any in living memory. Topics include remote learning, election disinformation, income inequality, and more.
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Vaccination
commentary
A Case for Vaccinating Teachers First
Aaron Strong @resourceecon, Jonathan Welburn @jwwelburn
Dec 19, 2020
The Wall Street Journal
Most agree that America's 18 million health care workers should top the list for COVID-19 vaccination. The 3.3 million teachers should come next. Vaccinating teachers could make it possible to open schools permanently and get parents back to work. That would help the economy recover.
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Military Strategy
commentary
Thinking in (Napoleonic) Times: Historical Warnings for an Era of Great-Power Competition
Alexandra T. Evans @AlexandraTEvans
Dec 18, 2020
War on the Rocks
Over the last several years, great-power competition has become a major topic of discussion, prompting policymakers, scholars, and pundits alike to look to the past for lessons to explain the emerging contest between the United States and China. Considering how a variety of historical powers have faced rising challengers can aid our understanding of the challenges ahead.
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Vaccination
commentary
The Compensation System for Potential Side Effects Is an Important Part of a COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign
Nicholas M. Pace, Lloyd Dixon, Bethany Saunders-Medina
Dec 18, 2020
The Hill
Concern about potential COVID-19 vaccine side effects and their consequences may be contributing to Americans' reluctance to get vaccinated. Policymakers and the public should carefully consider what types and levels of compensation for any adverse effects of vaccination are truly fair and appropriate.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Americans' Financial Struggles, COVID-19 Vaccinations, Virtual Schools: RAND Weekly Recap
Dec 18, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on Americans' ongoing financial struggles, how we can learn from the first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations, why virtual schools may be here to stay, and more.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
RAND Commentary Highlights from 2020
Dec 18, 2020
The roughly 400 op-eds and blog posts published by RAND researchers during the year reflected an enormous variety of expertise and perspectives, from remote education to election cybersecurity to the economic harms of racial disparities. Here are 10 highlights that landed in high-profile news outlets.
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