RAND Review

The cover story discusses the promotion of tolerance and critical thinking in the Arab world through books and other media targeted toward children. Three features on defense in an age of austerity examine the difficult choices that the United States and its allies must make as they reduce defense budgets. A final feature looks at how several states and districts are adopting best practices for incorporating student performance data into teacher evaluations systems in a way that is accurate and fair. Two other stories highlight the National Science Foundation's role in promoting research in the United States and how RAND is helping several countries to foster technological innovation. A selection of quotes from RAND's postelection Politics Aside event is presented, and our "Public Square" section touches on several topics, such as Syria's civil war, using technology to safeguard embassies, the tempting nature of supermarket displays, the link between teenage employment and smoking, a novel approach to preventing drunk driving in South Dakota, and the performance of the U.S. health care system versus those of several European countries.