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Countering Truth Decay
“Truth Decay,” the diminishing role of facts in public life, poses a threat to evidence-based policymaking and to American democracy. RAND is studying this phenomenon to learn more about its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.
Jan 16, 2018
Report
The Benefits and Costs of Decarbonizing Costa Rica's Economy
Costa Rica set the ambitious goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. An evaluation of the benefits and costs of its National Decarbonization Plan finds that under most plausible assumptions about the future, the plan would achieve or nearly achieve its goals and do so at a net economic benefit.
Nov 24, 2020

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Report
U.S.-China Rivalry in a Neomedieval World
The neomedieval era, which began around 2000, is characterized by weakening states, fragmenting societies, imbalanced economies, and informalized warfare. What do these conditions mean for competition—and potential conflict—between the United States and China?
Jun 6, 2023
Journal Article
An Unwinnable War: Washington Needs an Endgame in Ukraine
While the Western response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine was clear from the start, the objective has been nebulous. After over a year of fighting, the likely direction of this war is coming into focus.
Jun 6, 2023
Commentary
Amid an Epidemic of Loneliness, Nonprofits Are Helping Keep Veterans Connected
Many nonprofit organizations in the United States seek to support veterans and foster social connection. The connections and sense of community these programs are building can help to combat the loneliness epidemic that is affecting veterans and non-veterans alike.
Jun 5, 2023
Commentary
America Is Winning Against China in Oceania
The United States retains enormous advantages in Oceania and should not be alarmed by China's security activities in the region. Washington should nevertheless keep a close eye on Beijing's moves, particularly against small and weak nations that will struggle to counter Chinese coercive activities on their own.
Jun 4, 2023
Blog
Arming Teachers, F-16s in Ukraine, Commercial Spaceflight: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how teachers feel about arming teachers, what F-16s will (and won't) do for Ukraine, the need to regulate commercial spaceflight, and more.
Jun 2, 2023
Commentary
An Autistic Soldier Wants You to Read This
Despite the recruitment challenges it is currently facing, the Army continues to make personnel decisions based on last century's understanding of neurodivergent diagnoses. The loosening of stigma associated with these diagnoses could improve recruitment, and the Army might reap the benefits of neurodiversity.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
Which Working Conditions Could Restore Teacher Well-Being?
Teachers' self-reported well-being and access to a variety of working conditions varied across five states. Relational factors—positive relationships with other teachers and administrators—were more strongly linked to well-being than organizational factors. And a schoolwide focus on social and emotional learning was linked to positive well-being.
Jun 1, 2023
Report
Great-Power Competition and Conflict in the Middle East
This report explores the potential for competition among the United States, China, and Russia in the Middle East; where and why competition might turn into conflict; what form that conflict might take; and the implications for the United States.
Jun 1, 2023
Commentary
Is Ecuador in the Middle of a Self-Coup?
On May 17, the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, dissolved the country's legislature in the midst of impeachment proceedings against him. Did Ecuador just have a self-coup? The answer matters greatly for the country's democratic trajectory and for the international community's response.
May 31, 2023
Commentary
What F-16s Will (and Won't) Do for Ukraine
After months of publicly lobbying to acquire U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, it appears that Ukraine may receive them later this year. However, there remains a long road ahead before the F-16s would see service in Ukraine—and it is an open question how much they would affect the outcome of the war.
May 31, 2023
News Release
1 in 5 Teachers Feel Carrying Gun to Class Would Make Schools Safer; More Than Half Think Armed Teachers Would Make ...
U.S. teachers are divided on whether arming themselves would make schools safer, with one in five saying they would be interested in carrying a gun to school.
May 31, 2023
Report
Birth-Centered Outcomes Research Engagement (B-CORE) in Medi-Cal: Community-Generated Recommendations to Decrease Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal Morbidity
The B-CORE project, described in this report, applied the deliberative democracy method to engage affected community members in problem-solving focused on maternal health inequities in California.
May 31, 2023
Commentary
Who Should We Honor on Memorial Day?
The cost of war is not borne solely by soldiers on the field of battle, and for too many, the field of battle is unavoidable. Widening notions of whom we honor, and how, are signs of progress—but they are just a start.
May 30, 2023
Commentary
Rising to the Challenge: A Methodological Approach to Prioritizing Defense Investments
Meeting the Pentagon's goals to invest efficiently in military capabilities calls for a methodological process hinging on five key elements: aligning strategies with tasks, understanding what drives military innovation, embracing specificity in problem-solving, preparing for an unknown future, and assessing technology investments for prioritization.
May 30, 2023
Commentary
Making the Most of JROTC
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) units in U.S. schools have drawn intensive scrutiny of late, and some districts might consider dropping JROTC. But they should take stock of what they'll lose. Students who choose to enroll in JROTC and stick with it do better in school than their peers.
May 26, 2023
Commentary
How Can Platforms Deal with Toxic Content? Look to Wall Street
The Supreme Court recently opted to keep in place a law that shields tech platforms from liability for hosting toxic content. Congress can and should regulate the industry. And there's already a regulatory framework for doing so that accounts for freedom of speech concerns.
May 26, 2023
Commentary
Military Assistance to Ukraine Is a Rare Success
Recently, the United States reversed its long-standing opposition to sending Ukraine F-16 advanced aircraft to aid its fight against Russia. The policy reversal is a smart call. Once the aircraft are delivered and training is complete the jets will help Ukraine defend its territory more efficiently, and might even help end the war.
May 26, 2023
Blog
Immigration Policy, the Black-White Wealth Gap, ChatGPT: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the challenges facing U.S. immigration policy, what it would take to close America's Black-white wealth gap, risks and opportunities associated with artificial intelligence, more.
May 26, 2023
News Release
State Policies Requiring Education for Buprenorphine Prescribers Boosts Use of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
States that want to increase access to buprenorphine, a lifesaving medication used to treat opioid use disorder, should consider efforts to enhance professional education and clinician knowledge.
May 26, 2023
Commentary
A Unique Opportunity Not To Be Squandered: Advancing Our Relationships in Central Asia
Concerned about Putin's imperialist actions in Ukraine, five nations in Central Asia are looking to the West to offset the political, economic, and security-related pressures they feel from Russia and, increasingly, China. It would be a mistake for the United States not to seize this moment.
May 25, 2023

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Researcher Spotlight

Jordan R. Fischbach

Adjunct Policy Researcher

Jordan R. Fischbach (he/him) is an adjunct policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and the director of Planning and Policy Research at The Water Institute of the Gulf. He codirected the RAND Climate Resilience Center from 2015 to 2020, and his research focuses on climate adaptation, urban…
Hunter Granger

Director of Operations, RAND Homeland Security Research Division

Hunter Granger is director of operations for the Homeland Security Research Division. In this role, he is responsible for the division's business management, as well as financial and operational functions. He is also responsible for strategic business engagements across a wide breadth of HSRD…

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