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Economics

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Economics is a discipline concerned with the consumption, production, and transfer of wealth by and among individuals (microeconomics) and communities or nations (macroeconomics); subspecialties range from economic development and planning to health economics and international economic relations. RAND's many economists contribute to multidisciplinary research projects by exploring the intersections where economics informs social, military, and governmental policy decisions.

Commentary
The Global Movement Against China's Economic Coercion Is Accelerating
There is much the West can do to push back against Chinese economic pressure, and many reasons to do so. Doing so is a core interest of the United States, which now places itself in competition with China over the shape of the international order.
Jun 9, 2023
Essay
Insomnia: The Multibillion-Dollar Problem Sapping World Productivity
From the doctor's office to the office at work, good sleep is often overlooked as a key part of well-being. We pay for that. Chronic insomnia is associated with an average loss in workplace productivity of 45–54 days, resulting in estimated annual losses in GDP of more than $200 billion.
Sep 8, 2023

Explore Economics

Commentary
A Tale of Two Americas
Economic pain in the United States is obvious and palpable everywhere except in the stock market. This spotlights inequality that has been increasing for decades. Undoing disparities will require firm policy commitment over many years.
Jul 9, 2020
Commentary
The Cost of Brexit Uncertainty
Leaving the European Union has had an overall negative economic effect on the UK economy, and there are additional economic costs associated with the uncertainty surrounding the new relationship. Will there be a deal? And if so, what type of deal is likely?
Jul 8, 2020
Multimedia
The Unequal Nature of the Damage from COVID-19
Shanthi Nataraj, senior economist with the RAND Corporation, explains which communities and businesses have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jul 7, 2020
Commentary
Demystifying the Belt and Road Initiative
Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China works with more than 70 countries to design and implement large infrastructure projects. Why are countries of all stripes turning to China for funding when the world is awash with cash?
Jul 6, 2020
Commentary
Small Businesses Need the Right Kind of Help to Survive COVID-19
Small and medium-sized companies are less equipped than large ones to weather the devastating effects of the pandemic. What could policymakers do to help these businesses get the help they need?
Jun 26, 2020
Commentary
A Path to Recovery from COVID-19 for Small Businesses
The COVID-19 pandemic has hammered small businesses around the United States. We spoke with 21 small business owners to learn more about the challenges they are facing and how they might best be helped.
Jun 25, 2020
Multimedia
When Should We Stop Social Distancing?
RAND's Jeanne Ringel describes a new decisionmaking tool that models the effect of non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 interventions on health and economic outcomes.
Jun 24, 2020
Commentary
What Elinor Ostrom Teaches Us About Avoiding the 'Tragedy of the Commons' in Delivering the Public Interest in the Post COVID-19 World
The public interest can be an elusive concept, especially when trying to distinguish between shared and individual interests, a problem brought into sharper focus as we try to find the right path to a post COVID-19 world. Governments are seeking to do the best for their societies with limited information. As more data is being acquired, how can public policy achieve common interest?
Jun 22, 2020
Journal Article
What China Wants in South Asia
This brief outlines the issues facing different South Asian countries with respect to their relationships with China.
Jun 12, 2020
Commentary
The Wealth Gap Widens
Whether history considers the current downturn a recession or a depression, it will reinforce the growing inequality in the United States. Navigating this crisis without substantially increasing inequality would require an unwavering commitment to support displaced workers and small-business owners.
Jun 1, 2020
Commentary
38 Million Have Applied for Unemployment. But How Many Have Received Benefits?
Unemployment Insurance may need substantial reform to its application process, but it has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic unemployment disaster. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the new program intended for workers who are not part of the employer tax base, has not.
Jun 1, 2020
Blog
What Happens When States Reopen, Truth Decay, Telemedicine: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the health and economic consequences of states reopening, the dangers of 'Truth Decay' during the coronavirus crisis, helping refugees, and more.
May 22, 2020
Blog
Preparing for a Post-Vaccine World, Domestic Abuse, the Future of War: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why we need a blueprint for a post-vaccine world, helping domestic abuse victims during COVID-19, the pandemic's historic economic effects, and more.
May 15, 2020
Blog
Global Challenges to Maintaining a Healthy Workforce During a Pandemic: Views from RAND Experts
As nations across the globe remain in lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about the future of employment and workforce productivity emerge. During a recent webinar, RAND experts discussed how to get people back to work and improve productivity post COVID-19.
May 15, 2020
Commentary
Economic Recovery in Egypt Should Include Women
Despite tremendous strides in educational attainment, women's engagement in the labor force in Egypt remains limited. Will Egypt's post-pandemic recovery further exacerbate structural barriers and inequities? Or could the current economic crisis be an opportunity to develop new opportunities to employ women and foster conditions for a more inclusive and diversified labor force?
May 11, 2020
Commentary
Why Russia Struggles to Feed Its Great-Power Addiction
Russia has become less cooperative and pursued more autarky in recent years. If Moscow continues on a path of resisting globalization, it could be left behind.
May 11, 2020
Report
Global Economic Trends and the Future of Warfare: The Changing Global Environment and Its Implications for the U.S. Air Force
This volume of the Future of Warfare series examines economic trends that could affect U.S. national security, including pressure on the global trading system, the rise of China, searches for new resources, and the decreasing power of U.S. sanctions.
May 11, 2020
Blog
Reopening America, China's 'Mask Diplomacy,' State Police Powers: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on a RAND tool that estimates the public health and economic effects of reopening America, China's “mask diplomacy,” using police powers for pandemic response, and more.
May 8, 2020
Q&A
Reopening America—The Health and Economic Tradeoffs: Q&A with RAND Experts
Local and state officials are thinking through whether, when, and how to lift social-distancing restrictions. We asked three RAND researchers about the complex problem of reopening.
May 4, 2020
Tool
New Tool Can Assess the Effects of COVID-19 Interventions
State and local leaders have taken unprecedented measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent health care systems from being overwhelmed. As states plan the way to recovery, a new tool can help them estimate both the public health and economic consequences of imposing or lifting restrictions.
May 4, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Economics

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Kandice A. Kapinos

Senior Economist

Kandice A. Kapinos (she/her) is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation specializing in access to health care and disparities in the United States. She combines applied microeconomics and epidemiologic models with advanced econometrics and causal inference tools to understand how social,…
Tobias Sytsma

Associate Economist

Tobias (Toby) Sytsma is an associate economist at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research focuses on international trade and supply chain frictions, natural disasters and climate change, economic development, and workforce development. His recent…

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