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January 2015

commentary

Reauthorizing ESEA: Four Recommendations to Make Testing Work
Will Congress be able to reauthorize ESEA in 2015? Success will depend on legislators clearing several hurdles, such as decisions regarding teacher quality, school improvement, and charter schools. And at the center of the debate remains the issue of federal requirements for testing.
Jan 21, 2015
essay

Tech for Tots
When it comes to youngsters and technology use, how much is too much? How young is too young? RAND is on the case, to help prepare children for success in school and life.
Jan 20, 2015
commentary

America's College Promise: Meeting the Higher Education Challenge
President Obama's proposal to cover the costs of two years of community college offers hope to many American students, but two key challenges should be addressed: meeting the needs of underprepared students and devising a system to smooth the transfer of credits from one institution to another.
Jan 19, 2015
commentary

ISIS Aims to Occupy Mecca
As ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reaches for control of the holy sites in and around Mecca and Medina and the wealth that comes with them, the U.S., NATO, and others should consider providing significant equipment and know-how to shore up the border defenses of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan.
Jan 19, 2015
commentary

The Great American Working Vacation
For years, vacations were a time for Americans to reset and renew, a time away from work. But more and more, Americans check their email, take calls, and work while on vacation.
Jan 19, 2015
commentary

China Can Fix Its Severe Pollution Problem
China's economic transformation over the last three decades has produced potentially deadly air pollution its people inhale every day. But an investment of $215 billion annually could substantially reduce pollution, lessen its drag on productivity, spare the lungs of countless people, and save lives.
Jan 19, 2015
blog

Dialogue on Asymmetric Threats Concludes Two-Day Workshop on U.S. and Israeli Security Challenges
Few nations have more experience with asymmetric conflicts than Israel and the United States. At the National Press Club in Washington, Brian Michael Jenkins of RAND and Admiral Amichay Ayalon, former director of Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, discussed the dynamics of the changing security environment.
Jan 16, 2015
commentary

Cost of College in the United States
For middle- to lower-income families in the U.S., in particular, the costs associated with attending a four-year university are becoming nearly impossible to bear. More and more students are ending up with significant debt after graduating from college, putting financial pressure on them at the outset of their professional careers.
Jan 16, 2015
q&a

The Good Hacker: Q&A with Lillian Ablon
Lillian Ablon talks about hacking, winning the DEF CON black badge, women in STEM, and more.
Jan 16, 2015
commentary

Can Eurasian Energy Compete?
Cheaper oil, government interference, and market dynamics jeopardize the future of Russian and Caspian energy. To be globally competitive, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan should let the private sector play a greater role and make more decisions on commercial, rather than political grounds.
Jan 16, 2015
commentary

Russia's New Military Doctrine: Same as the Old Doctrine, Mostly
Russia maintains it will use military force only defensively, when other options have failed. But this is the doctrine of a state that sees a lot to defend against, even as its interests expand globally. The danger is Moscow's view of threats everywhere may prove self-fulfilling.
Jan 15, 2015
commentary

How Much Are You Paying for Health Care?
Americans devote about 17 percent of GDP to health care consumption. In 2013, U.S. GDP was $16.8 trillion, and the population was 316 million. Together, these numbers imply that Americans spent about $9,200 per person on health care. Who's paying for this?
Jan 15, 2015
essay

The Dream Drive
Autonomous vehicle technology is already here: Cars park themselves, alert drivers to impending dangers, and even apply the brakes in emergencies. But what will it take to unlock its potential for major societal benefits?
Jan 14, 2015
commentary

Advice for Defense Innovators
If the U.S. is to retain its status as the security partner of choice for many of the world's most important states, and help sustain peace and stability in regions critical to our own security, future U.S. forces must be far more capable.
Jan 12, 2015
commentary

Why al Qaeda in Yemen Attacked Paris
The bloodshed in the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was a startling reminder of al Qaeda's ambitions, capabilities, and ruthlessness. And whether or not the attack was planned as a marketing device to help al Qaeda emerge from the expanding shadow of the Islamic State, it may be having that effect.
Jan 12, 2015

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