July 2021

commentary

Mind the Gap

For decades, NATO forces have used nearby bases to keep tabs on Russian submarines, surface ships, and aircraft transiting the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Gap. Strong independence movements in Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scotland could soon jeopardize this position.

Scott Savitz

commentary

Can China Be a Real Partner in Bringing North Korea to the Nuclear Negotiating Table?

The United States remains committed to the goal of denuclearization of North Korea. China is more interested in maintaining a delicate geopolitical balance to counter U.S. influence in the region and in expanding its own reach. Thus, prospects for productive U.S.-China cooperation on the North Korean nuclear threat seem faint at best.

Soo Kim

commentary

North Korean Nuclear Weapons Pose an Existential Threat to China

Despite the current border closures between their two countries, China and North Korea remain resolutely pledged to a “blood-alliance.” But this partnership has vastly different implications depending on which side of the border you consider.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett, Diana Y. Myers

commentary

Next Year's Freshman: How Corequisites Might Help Address COVID-19 Learning Loss

As states and colleges look to address learning loss due to COVID-19, it is important that they not turn to traditional models of remediation that prevent students from directly entering college coursework. Instead, they should look to new, effective models of corequisite support.

Lindsay Daugherty, Trey Miller

commentary

Four Strategies to Reduce Disaster Risk in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Contexts

Addressing the circumstances for the more than two billion people living in fragile and conflict-affected contexts is crucial for delivering on the United Nations commitment for disaster risk reduction. Four strategies can help reduce risk and improve resilience for these communities.

Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, Ronak B. Patel, et al.

commentary

Charting a Path Forward for College Athletes to Receive Pay

The NCAA has long restricted what student athletes could receive in education-related benefits. But a recent Supreme Court ruling may be a step toward allowing athletes to access the income that their labor produces.

Jhacova Williams

blog

Equity in Research, North Korean Instability, Traffic Stops: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how RAND applies an equity lens to research, instability in North Korea, what police think about traffic stops, and more.

commentary

The Power and Limits of Threat: The Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act at One Year

A powerful new U.S. sanctions law on Syria came into effect one year ago, with great notice and speculation regarding its potential effects. Now, one year later, it is apparent that the act's power lies not in who the United States has sanctioned but in who the United States could sanction.

Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz

commentary

What Xi Jinping's Communist Party Valedictory Speech Can Tell Us About His Conception of China and Its Role in the World

In a recent speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping laid out a vision of his country's future. Xi's remarks were full of imagery of righteous struggle against foreign oppressors. What can this tell us about where he sees China's relationship with the world heading?

Scott W. Harold

essay

How RAND Applies an Equity Lens to Research and Analysis

RAND recognizes that serving the public good requires tackling the factors that contribute to inequities head-on. Current projects focus on such issues as environmental racism, mass incarceration, and anti-Asian violence.

commentary

Biden's Troubled Southeast Asia Policy Needs a Reboot

Nearly six months into Joe Biden's presidency, it is now possible to begin assessing the effectiveness of some of his administration's policies. When it comes to Southeast Asia, the Biden administration has thus far fallen short, but the future looks relatively bright with certain caveats.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman

commentary

Job Training Is More Effective When Educators, Government, and Industry Work Together

The United States is facing economic gaps wider than have been seen in a century. To keep the nation economically strong and able to provide citizens with middle-class lifestyles, educators, government, and private industry need to work together to shape training opportunities.

Matthew D. Baird, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

commentary

How Creating a Pillow Talk Ritual Can Help You Get a Good Night's Rest

Working to bolster your sleep can bolster your relationship quality, and vice versa, and individually or collectively, they can both bolster your health. A simple technique can help build a habit around connecting with your partner.

Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel

commentary

Donald Rumsfeld: Anti–Nation-Builder

As Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld repeatedly resisted U.S. military participation in nation-building–type operations. Even as the United States terminates the last of those nation-building missions, that in Afghanistan, it is worth reflecting on these experiences.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

blog

Veteran Journeys: Where Mental Health Research Meets Opera

Kenneth Wells, a psychiatrist, librettist, and composer, has written a documentary disguised as an opera. He drew on Partners in Care, a 10-year RAND-UCLA study that was one of the first to use a multisite collaborative primary care approach to treat veterans and others experiencing depression.