American efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq have yet to reflect some of the hard-learned lessons from either the 1940s or the more recent — and, in some respects, more relevant — nation-building experiences of the 1990s, according to former ambassador James Dobbins. In an accompanying essay, James Quinlivan underscores that we have yet to provide the levels of troops historically required for stabilizing war-torn countries, completely aside from building them into vibrant democracies. Separate essays address the transnational threat of infectious diseases, the state of workers’ compensation courts in California, and the health-related consequences of releasing prisoners. Various news stories are also included.

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