2020

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.
Read More »

Wargaming
blog
Now You Can Play RAND Games at Home
Nov 10, 2020
RAND is famous for its Pentagon wargames. Now the public can play defense analyst, too. In RAND's new game, Hedgemony, players create a military strategy to allocate troops and resources and hedge against the unknown.
Read More »
Veterans Health Care
q&a
A Voice for Veterans on Capitol Hill: Q&A with Terri Tanielian
Nov 6, 2020
Terri Tanielian, a senior behavioral scientist at RAND and an internationally recognized expert on military and veteran health, spent six months as a fellow with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. She helped the committee develop a comprehensive suicide prevention strategy.
Read More »
Veterans Health Care
essay
There's Help for Veterans with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
Nov 4, 2020
Many post-9/11 veterans who have PTSD or depression also struggle with substance use. There are clinically proven treatments to help break the cycle of the co-occurring disorders, but the VA and other facilities need guidance on how to expand and enhance treatment opportunities for these veterans.
Read More »
Emergency Preparedness
essay
How Schools Adjusted to Life Under COVID-19
Nov 2, 2020
In spring 2020, nearly every school in America had to figure out how to make distance learning work. Some handed out thick packets of homework for students to do on their own. Others handed out laptops. Most principals agree that better planning for future closures should be a priority.
Read More »
Civic Education
essay
The Importance of Teaching Civic Responsibility in America
Oct 29, 2020
A survey of civics and social studies teachers asked what they teach, how they teach it, and what they think students need to know. Most said their students absolutely need to learn to be tolerant of different people and groups. And they want their students to see themselves as global citizens.
Read More »
Civic Education
commentary
Think Tanks in the Era of Truth Decay
Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Oct 22, 2020
RAND Review
Truth Decay is the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life, and it cuts much deeper than any political party or demographic. It's why nonpartisan think tanks like RAND are as important now as they have ever been.
Read More »
Military Strategy
q&a
The Future of Warfare: Q&A with Raphael Cohen
Sep 8, 2020
What will the next decade of warfare look like? Raphael Cohen led a project to answer that question for the U.S. Air Force. The team considered not just technological or force changes, but also how global politics, economics, and the environment will shift and evolve between now and 2030.
Read More »
Organizational Leadership Development
blog
Pardee RAND's Faculty Leaders Program: Shaping the Future of Public Policy
Sep 3, 2020
To be effective, public policy needs to reflect the aspirations, lives, and perspectives of the people it serves. The Pardee RAND Graduate School seeks to build diversity in public policy by engaging faculty leaders from U.S. colleges and universities committed to serving students of color.
Read More »
Telemedicine
essay
What Telemedicine Needs to Succeed Beyond COVID-19
Sep 2, 2020
Virtual doctor visits have become part of the new normal. Since the first COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, Medicare and other payers have relaxed their rules to make it easier for patients to connect to care. But without permanent policy changes, physicians may not continue telemedicine services.
Read More »
Public Health Preparedness
essay
A Stable Blood Supply Is Critical in the COVID-19 Era
Aug 27, 2020
Millions of lives depend on the U.S. blood supply. But no one knows exactly how much blood is in the system at any given time, or whether it's enough to meet demand. The federal government has no way to collect that data, and hospitals don't share it with each other. What can be done to strengthen the system?
Read More »
Delphi Method
blog
How Accurate Were Predictions for the Future?
Jul 14, 2020
Anticipating the risks and opportunities posed by all kinds of change is a RAND specialty. In 1964, using RAND's now-famous Delphi method, experts pondered topics like medical advancements, space, artificial intelligence, and controlling the weather.
Read More »
Macroeconomics
q&a
Balancing Public Health and Economic Effects of Physical Distancing: Q&A with Jonathan Welburn
Jul 13, 2020
Jonathan Welburn, an operations researcher at RAND, has spent years studying how economic shocks ripple outward like a contagion through the economy. He recently helped develop an online tool that policymakers can use to manage the health and economic effects of COVID-19 interventions.
Read More »
Educational Equity
essay
The COVID Slide: How to Help Students Recover Learning Losses
Jul 9, 2020
Research shows that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for youth. How can we use what we know about summer learning to help kids in the age of COVID-19?
Read More »
Community Resilience
essay
Stress Accumulates in Marginalized Communities, Generation After Generation
Jul 8, 2020
Psychologists and biologists have known for years that prolonged stress is toxic to the human body. A better understanding of how stress builds in communities—and the burden it puts on them—can lead to more effective policies to address it.
Read More »
Health Care Services Capacity
essay
COVID Could Surge Anywhere. This Tool Helps Hospitals Prepare
Jul 1, 2020
The number of new coronavirus cases is growing in most states. As the pandemic continues to strain U.S. health care systems, a tool developed by RAND researchers can help hospitals prepare for the worst.
Read More »