2015

commentary

Will Today's Refugees Become the 'New Palestinians'?

The conflicts in Syria and Iraq have generated the greatest volume of refugees since World War II. If the international community is to avoid seeing the emergence of a population of new Palestinians lasting decades into the future, it will have to craft a more coherent approach.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

commentary

Do Young 'Elites' Favor Income Redistribution?

Young 'elites' -- employed Americans who are 40 or younger, with high household incomes and graduate degrees -- and especially Democratic elites have a strong preference for income redistribution.

Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard, Katherine Grace Carman

commentary

Bridging the Global Age Gap

The Trans-Pacific Partnership offers hope for balancing the world's rapidly aging with its jobless youth. As long-term care for the elderly becomes a pressing need in many developed countries, services such as monitoring and reminding people to take their medications could be provided remotely from countries with an abundance of younger workers.

Krishna B. Kumar

commentary

The Fall of Kunduz and What It Means for the Future of Afghanistan

After the fall of Kunduz, Afghan officials and their coalition partners need to ask some hard questions about where their efforts have gone wrong and what can be done to recover.

Jason H. Campbell @JasonHCampbell

commentary

Tools for Coping with a Military Spouse's Drinking

A new research study and web program, Partners Connect, was launched in September to help military spouses concerned about a loved one's drinking.

Karen Chan Osilla

q&a

RAND Experts Q&A on the Fighting in Kunduz

The Taliban battled its way into the center of Kunduz this week, with media reports saying it seized control of the northern Afghanistan city at least for a time. A trio of RAND experts participated in a Q&A on the situation and its significance.

commentary

Adapting to a Hotter World

Because climate change is largely irreversible, mitigation alone won't solve the problem. While mitigation will prevent even greater, future climatic changes, adaptation — efforts to adjust to climate change's effects — will prepare the world for a new set of living conditions, whatever they may be.

Evan D. Peet @evandpeet, Jaime Madrigano @JMadrigano

commentary

What Is Putin Really Up to in Syria?

Russia wants to be sure that it's not ignored if and when the West succeeds in implementing a broader, more effective solution to the Syria-Iraq-ISIL problem. This is a task far beyond Russia's capabilities, but one that America, the West, and regional powers may be able to accomplish.

William Courtney @courtneywmh

commentary

Multiple Factors Drive Program Success

Congress continues to express concerns about weapon system cost growth and is considering multiple acquisition reform proposals for the National Defense Authorization Act. One proposal would hold program managers accountable via a “performance agreement” for key parameters that must be met.

Irv Blickstein, William Shelton

commentary

In Latin America, Breaking the Cycle of Intimate-Partner Abuse One Handwritten Letter at a Time

Latin America has one of the highest rates of intimate-partner violence in the world, but a series of high-profile cases, including the murder of a journalist by her policeman husband, have propelled intimate-partner violence to the fore of Bolivia's public agenda.

Mahlet Atakilt Woldetsadik

commentary

The U.S. Military: Between a Rock and a Repulsive Place

There is a reasonable argument that the best route to address pedophilia and other human rights violations by Afghan forces is to remain engaged, and to make U.S. support conditioned upon remediation and accountability, as the Leahy law requires. Others might insist that the U.S. guarantee that not a single taxpayer dollar goes to an Afghan soldier who commits gross violations of human rights.

Jeffrey Eggers

commentary

Exploring New Approaches to Higher Education: The Expansion of Competency-Based Programs

Policymakers and educators must determine if the risks of maintaining the status quo outweigh the potential benefits of competency-based programs, especially for those students who are ill-served by the traditional higher education model.

Lindsay Daugherty, Trey Miller, et al.

commentary

Any Review of Syria and Iraq Strategy Needs Realistic Reappraisal

Since the American-led coalition bombing campaign began a year ago, ISIS has suffered some military setbacks and lost territory, but it also has been able to capture several more key cities in Iraq and Syria, and, despite the bombing, continues to attract a large number of foreign fighters.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

commentary

China's Currency

Much of the worry in the United States and elsewhere about China's currency “manipulation” is overblown because a less restricted yuan would more likely be overvalued than undervalued, thereby adversely affecting Chinese trade and exports.

Charles Wolf, Jr.

commentary

The Greek Tragedy's Next Act Unfolds

On regaining the mantle of prime minister, Tsipras should expect little, if any, honeymoon from the Greek electorate, as he faces not just the implementation of austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund and the EU: He must also cope with Greece's part of a European migration crisis of historic proportions.

Charles P. Ries @charles_ries