2013

commentary

Opt-In, Opt-Out; Why Not Forced Choice?

By default, browsers generally are set to automatically allow online tracking, but there may be a better way to make sure consumers decide whether or not they want to allow advertisers to sniff at their digital footprints, writes Steven Isley.

Steven C. Isley

commentary

Weather Forecasts, and Our Trust in Them, Need to Improve

When scientists predict extreme weather that never materializes, lay people tend to wonder what went wrong. This is a natural tendency that is not tied to a failure of the science, but rather to differences in the way scientists and lay people view predictions about extreme events.

Melissa L. Finucane, Regina A. Shih @ReginaShih

commentary

The Passing of Vietnam Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap

The passing of Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap marks the end of an era for Vietnam — and for giants of the twentieth-century anti-colonial movement throughout the world. As commander of the Viet Minh and the Vietnam People's Army, his strategies led to successes against France and the U.S. that were regarded as among communism's finest military moments.

Jonah Blank

commentary

How to Improve the Way Medical Research Is Applied in Frontline Care

Many people assume that it is enough to present clinicians and managers with the results of medical research for them to adopt those techniques that work best. This is quite untrue. The scale and pace of medical advance poses a continual challenge, and there is often a gap between recommended care and actual care received.

Bryony Soper, Ellen Nolte

blog

China's ASEAN Outreach

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for greater cooperation between his country and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during remarks delivered Oct. 3 before the Indonesian parliament. But Angel Rabasa, a RAND senior political scientist, says improved relations between China and its neighbors will depend more on action than on words.

commentary

Removing Road Blocks to Climate Change Adaptation Planning

Despite increasing interest and investments in climate adaptation science, the implementation of adaptation plans through institutional policies or other actions designed to reduce health vulnerabilities has been slow. Institutionalized assumptions are an important roadblock.

Melissa L. Finucane, Regina A. Shih @ReginaShih

commentary

Medicaid Access for the Formerly Incarcerated Under the ACA: Helping the Oft-Forgotten

America's prison population tends to be sicker than the general population. While Medicaid eligibility under the ACA offers an historic opportunity, enrolling the formerly incarcerated into the health exchanges or Medicaid will be neither simple nor straightforward.

Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis

commentary

U.S. Sanctions Against Myanmar Need to Go

Washington now has to ask itself whether its goals can best be met with these restrictions in place or whether it is time to recognize the fundamental changes that are taking place in Myanmar and forge a new relationship with its leaders based on full government-to-government relations, writes Peter Chalk.

Peter Chalk

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Christopher Paul Receives Fulbright Specialist Award

Christopher Paul, a senior social scientist at RAND, has been selected for a Fulbright Specialist project in New Zealand at Massey University's Centre for Defence and Security Studies during October and November.

commentary

A Threat to U.S. Interests in East Africa

The Shabab terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Kenya and its follow-up attacks in the country are a stark reminder that the Somalia-based group poses a threat to the United States and its interests in East Africa, writes Seth G. Jones.

Seth G. Jones

commentary

Paths to Victory in the Australian Defence and Security Context

The historical importance of commitment and motivation and the need to overmatch insurgents suggest that Australia should weigh any commitment of support against existing conditions, those that can be changed and those that can't, writes Christopher Paul.

Christopher Paul

commentary

Understanding the Affordable Care Act

One of the chief aims of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of insurance coverage to individuals who at present either cannot afford it or choose not to purchase it. Unfortunately, many Americans lack the financial literacy needed to navigate the numerous and complex options thrust upon them by the ACA.

Sebastian Bauhoff, Katherine Grace Carman, et al.

commentary

Will the Affordable Care Act Make Health Care More Affordable?

Out-of-pocket spending on health care will decrease for both the newly insured as well as for those changing their source of insurance. These decreases will be largest for those who would otherwise be uninsured.

Christine Eibner @Chrissyeibner

blog

Ask Me Anything: Carter Price on the Affordable Care Act

As of October 1, many Americans can now shop for health insurance through state exchanges created as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the sweeping health care reform often referred to as 'Obamacare.' To provide some insight into the ACA, RAND's Carter Price hosted an 'Ask Me Anything' session on Reddit today.

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Lynn Davis Interviews Eric Schlosser on Book TV

As a guest host of Book TV's After Words, Lynn Davis spoke to Eric Schlosser about his latest book, Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety.