Calendar of Events

    Past Events

  • Shasta Lake is 100 feet below its normal levels January 23, 2014

    California's Drought and Water Policy

    Sep 30, 2015

    Leadership from the California Farm Bureau Federation, the California Water Commission, and the Association of California Water Agencies discuss solutions to the water crisis. This event is open to the public; Policy Circle members are invited to a pre-event reception and will receive reserved seating.

  • A destroyed building with a wall painted with the black flag commonly used by Islamic State militants in the town of al-Alam, Iraq, March 10, 2015

    ISIS: Assessing the Global Threat

    Sep 24, 2015

    A year into the U.S.-led bombing on ISIS, how much progress has been made against the self-proclaimed Islamic State? RAND's Andrew Liepman and Citi Private Bank's Hasan Shirazi discuss the global threat ISIS poses and what can be done to contain it.

  • Soldiers rehearse weapons skills while attending the Cultural Support training course at Fort Bragg, N.C.

    The Changing Face of America's Front Lines: Women in Special Operations and Combat Roles

    Sep 21, 2015

    Author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Pardee RAND dean Susan Marquis, and RAND's John Winkler discuss how a pioneering team of women who served alongside Rangers and SEALS in Afghanistan in 2011 helped pave the way for women's roles in the military, as well as issues that remain.

  • Close up of Lily Ablon holding DEFCON 21 challenge medal

    Lessons from a Hacker: Cyber Concepts for Policymakers

    Sep 14, 2015

    What do policymakers need to know as they confront growing concerns over cybersecurity? Lillian Ablon provides insights into some of the complexities of cybersecurity policymaking, including why software vulnerabilities matter and the motivations of various cyber threats actors.

  • Students in a workshop

    RAND Public Policy Workshop

    Aug 26, 2015

    In this public policy analysis workshop led by Jeffrey Wasserman, director of RAND Health, participants learn about policy analysis tools and techniques—and gain an understanding of how they can be used to improve the quality of public policy decisionmaking.

  • Palm trees at sunset in Long Beach, California

    RANDNext Happy Hour

    Aug 5, 2015

    The RANDNext Happy Hour is an opportunity for cross-industry networking among a group of successful and influential early- to mid-career professionals. RAND researchers will be there to mingle with guests and discuss their work on important policy issues. Join us at one of West LA's hottest spots.

  • Book jacket of Anonymous Soldiers: The Struggle for Israel, 1917-1947

    Does Terrorism Work?

    Jul 30, 2015

    Bruce Hoffman discusses his latest book, Anonymous Soldiers, which draws on newly declassified documents to describe how both Arab and Jewish terrorism between 1917 and 1947 influenced Britain's day-to-day policies and its decision to surrender the mandate for Palestine to the UN.

  • A map of the world projected onto a compass

    Strategic Rethink: Choices for America in a Turbulent World

    Jul 24, 2015

    How does America envision its role in a turbulent geopolitical environment with growing challenges? Ambassador James Dobbins, Howard Shatz, and David Ochmanek examine the most consequential choices that are likely to face this president and the next.

  • The Dark Side of Technology

    Jun 25, 2015

    Global strategist, futurist, and author Marc Goodman joins RAND researcher and cybercrime expert Lillian Ablon for a glimpse into the future of crime in an interconnected world and also share steps people can take to protect themselves.

  • Tablet displaying charts, calculator, pen, coffee

    Financial Literacy and the Cost of Ignorance

    Jun 18, 2015

    Lack of financial literacy can lead to credit card debt, overwhelming college loans, and even bankruptcy. Annamaria Lusardi discusses the importance of educating people on how to make complex financial decisions as well as policy changes to raise the level of financial literacy.

  • The costs of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

    Author Presentation: Calculating the Costs of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

    Jun 15, 2015

    C. Ross Anthony and Charles P. Ries will present findings from their research on The Costs of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The study explores both the economic and non-economic factors that might influence the parties' decisions—and have long-term implications in the region and beyond.

  • Cannabis Leaf

    The Future of Marijuana

    Jun 9, 2015

    Multiple states have moved to decriminalize or legalize marijuana since 2012, but the prospect of legalizing it remains controversial. RAND expert Beau Kilmer will discuss the various options jurisdictions are considering, ranging from making marijuana a for-profit industry to blanket prohibition.

  • Woman upset during group therapy session

    Statewide Mental Health Prevention Program Effectiveness

    May 18, 2015

    Proposition 63 was passed over ten years ago, to increase funding for prevention, early intervention, and service needs for mental health programs. Join us to learn about why statewide mental health prevention and early intervention efforts are important and what is working so far.

  • President Barack Obama with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a joint news conference in Tokyo, April 24, 2014

    What Is the Future of Security in East Asia?

    May 7, 2015

    RAND welcomes a delegation of senior Japanese national security policy leaders to discuss the future of security in East Asia. The distinguished panel includes former minister of foreign affairs Gemba Koichiro, former ambassador to the United Nations Kitaoka Shinichi, and former minister of defense Onodera Itsunori.

  • New York City Police officers watch protesters during a peaceful demonstration, as communities react to the shooting of Michael Brown in New York's Times Square August 14, 2014

    Strengthening Police-Community Trust

    May 6, 2015

    Chief of Police Cameron McLay joins Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and RAND's director of Safety and Justice, Brian Jackson, for a conversation moderated by Fred Thieman, president of the Buhl Foundation and former U.S. attorney for Western Pennsylvania, about why building and maintaining trust between police and the public is critical for the health of American democracy.

  • TV series Homeland publicity poster

    How Accurate Is TV's Portrayal of Terrorism?

    May 6, 2015

    Many hit TV shows, movies, and books center on terrorists and the fight against them. No one knows better than award-winning writer, producer, and author Howard Gordon that terrorism sells. Gordon, whose credits include Homeland and 24, will discuss the allure of terrorism in entertainment, and how its depiction differs from the reality of terrorism on the ground.

  • A globe puzzle

    Decisions for the Decade Game: Planning Under Deep Uncertainty

    Mar 25, 2015

    How do you engage decisionmakers in thinking about long-term, hard-to predict risks? RANDNext members will play an interactive game intended to promote discussion about the integration of global policy and real world decisionmaking.

  • A couple in bed though the woman is suffering from insomnia

    Sleep's Role in Society and Policy

    Mar 10, 2015

    Sleep deprivation is estimated to cost U.S. businesses more than $150 billion per year in absences, accidents, and lost productivity. Learn about RAND research on sleep and why it should factor into such policy decisions as setting school start times, scheduling workers' shifts, and ensuring the health and readiness of U.S. military personnel and their families.

  • MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial attack vehicle in flight

    The Use of Long-Range Armed Drones: Fact v. Myth

    Mar 3, 2015

    The Obama administration announced a new policy setting standards for exporting and using armed drones which will allow for the wider export of armed drones to allied nations. A panel of RAND experts will seek to dispel some of the myths that have arisen with respect to the use of long-range armed drones.

  • Walter O'Brien

    Meet the Real Scorpion

    Feb 18, 2015

    The CBS TV show Scorpion tells the story of an international network of super-geniuses who form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age. The real-life inspiration for the show, Walter O'Brien, will explain how his company applies high IQ, computer science, and artificial intelligence to mitigate risk and solve global problems.

  • Student raising her hand during class

    Reauthorizing ESEA: Key Issues and Federal Oversight Are Up for Debate

    Feb 18, 2015

    This might be the year that Congress reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary School Act. However, debate continues over some of the law's key components and the appropriate federal role in annual assessments, state accountability, and teaching effectiveness.

  • Official movie poster of Food Chains

    Fairness for Farmworkers: A Private Screening of Food Chains

    Feb 11, 2015

    The documentary Food Chains tells the story of a coalition of tomato workers in Florida who are working with buyers and growers to turn the worst agricultural labor conditions in the United States into the best. Join us for an exclusive viewing and conversation with executive producer Eric Schlosser.

  • Stethoscope and U.S. currency

    Premium Tax Credits and the Affordable Care Act: The Potential Ramifications of King v. Burwell

    Feb 3, 2015

    In February 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of King v. Burwell, a challenge to the legality of the regulation authorizing premium tax credits in federally facilitated exchanges. What does this mean for the Affordable Care Act and consumers in these states?

  • Marijuana plants

    Insights About Marijuana Legalization in the United States

    Jan 21, 2015

    Marijuana legalization is a complex issue under serious debate. As Vermont prepares to vote on legalization, this briefing reviews a RAND report that analyzes income-earning potential for the state, marijuana policy in the U.S. and abroad, alternatives to marijuana prohibition, and how federal-state conflicts can impact policy choices.

  • Call with the Experts: Implications of the Paris Shootings

    Jan 14, 2015

    In this excerpt from an exclusive RAND Policy Circle Call, RAND terrorism experts discuss the deadly shootings at the satirical news magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris that have raised fears of a larger, more coordinated form of religiously-motivated terrorism throughout Europe and the West.