Government Legislation

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  • Profiles of people on two sides of a debate, image by Kubkoo/Getty Images and Chara Williams/RAND Corporation

    Essay

    Exploring the Disagreement Among Gun Policy Experts

    A survey asked gun policy researchers, advocates, and congressional staffers who work on gun issues for their views on policies ranging from weapon bans to stand-your-ground laws. Regardless of where they stood, they were not so dissimilar in what they thought gun policies should be trying to accomplish.

    Mar 7, 2022

  • David Luckey, senior international and defense researcher, and Jayme Fuglesten, director of Congressional Relations at RAND, on Capitol Hill, photo by Grace Evans/RAND Corporation

    Q&A

    A New Approach to Fighting Synthetic Opioids: Q&A with David Luckey and Jayme Fuglesten

    The opioid crisis isn't just about drug policy or law. It involves national security, homeland security, intelligence, diplomacy, supply chain issues, and cryptocurrency. Drawing on RAND's expertise across all those areas, the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking delivered a plan, a call to action about what it's going to take to save lives.

    Apr 26, 2022

Explore Government Legislation

  • Cannabis plants growing on a residential apartment balcony in Saint Julian's, Malta, September 20, 2022 , photo by Vadim Pacajev/Reuters

    Commentary

    Cannabis Legalization in Europe: Planning Ahead

    Since 2012, multiple jurisdictions have changed their laws to legalize the production, possession, and use of cannabis for nonmedical purposes. While most of these changes took place in the Americas, there are signs that the European legal landscape might be changing, too.

    Nov 9, 2022

  • A worker waters marijuana plants for the adult recreational market nside a greenhouse at Hepworth Farms in Milton, New York, July 15, 2022, photo by Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    Commentary

    What's Next After Biden's Announcement on Cannabis and Racial Equity?

    Cannabis legalization isn't just a yes-or-no choice. There are many ways for state and federal policymakers to shape the market and tax it. With deliberations in Washington, D.C., beginning and more states set to vote on the issue in November, now is the time for lawmakers to take stock of how potential changes will or won't help communities of color.

    Oct 11, 2022

  • A man carries a sign calling for gun reform during a rally and march against gun violence at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., July 13, 2022, photo by Allison Bailey/NurPhoto/Reuters

    Commentary

    A New Era for Firearm Violence Prevention Research

    Despite many remaining obstacles, the United States may soon have research that clarifies many of the unanswered questions about firearm violence and its prevention. Many critical research questions, neglected for decades, may now benefit from recent federal and private research funding that has supported a surge in research.

    Oct 4, 2022

  • Signs proclaiming a gun-free zone at an entrance point to Times Square, in New York City, September 1, 2022, photo by Richard B. Levine/Reuters

    Commentary

    Facts Still Matter, Even If the Court Signals Otherwise

    The Supreme Court's recent decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen threatens to render decades of scientific studies legally irrelevant. But there is still room for research to inform court decisions about firearm regulations.

    Oct 4, 2022

  • The U.S. Supreme Court at dusk, in Washington, D.C., August 7, 2022, photo by Graeme Sloan/Reuters

    Commentary

    State Gun Regulations Are a Messy Patchwork. The Supreme Court's Bruen Decision Won't Help

    The Supreme Court's decision may not actually narrow the policy gap between states sharply divided over their approach to regulating guns. Rather, its result may not look very different than what we have today—a patchwork of laws that often reflect political and policy demands of individual states.

    Aug 22, 2022

  • Congressman and Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking Co-Chair David Trone speaks on a RAND panel discussing the commission's findings, July 2022

    Report

    What Policy Changes Could Help Save Lives from Illicit Synthetic Opioids Overdose?

    In this recording of a July 2022 virtual event, experts discuss findings from the final report by the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, and recommendations to reduce the number of lives lost to illicit synthetic opioids.

    Aug 18, 2022

  • A concerned young woman looks at a pregnancy test, photo by VioletaStoimenova/Getty Images

    Commentary

    How Policies That Punish Pregnant Women Backfire

    There is overwhelming evidence and consensus from the medical and public health communities that supportive approaches are what help pregnant women with substance use disorders. Unfortunately, the overturning of Roe v. Wade has opened the door for more policies that police and punish women rather than these solutions that can save lives.

    Aug 2, 2022

  • Student walks through an archway at Cambridge University, photo by burcintuncer/Getty Images

    Commentary

    New Legislation May Not Be Enough to Counter Chinese Interference in British Universities

    There is alarming evidence of growing Chinese espionage and influence in UK universities that could threaten UK national security and academic freedoms. Three complementary initiatives could increase university researchers' awareness of the potential risks of collaborating with certain Chinese partners.

    Jul 8, 2022

  • Sacramento Capitol Building, California, USA

    Tool

    The RAND State Firearm Law Database

    As part of the Gun Policy in America initiative, RAND developed a longitudinal data set of state and District of Columbia firearm laws from 1979 to January 2021 to support improved analysis and understanding of the effects of gun laws.

    Jun 28, 2022

  • Memorial crosses for the victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, May 26, 2022, photo by Veronica G. Cardenas/Reuters

    Commentary

    The Gun Laws That Work, and the Gun Laws That Don't

    Are certain gun laws and regulations likely to improve or worsen public safety? At a time when many Americans are searching for solutions to the country's intolerably high rates of gun violence, social scientists can help provide answers.

    May 27, 2022

  • Dissertation

    Dissertation

    Responding to Urban Innovation: The Case of E-Scooters in Los Angeles County

    Builds upon existing frameworks for how policymakers respond to innovations by considering the arrival and subsequent policy response to a recent iteration of the platform economy, shared electric scooters

    May 18, 2022

  • Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking

    Multimedia

    Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking

    This video provides an overview of the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, including its purpose, research, and findings.

    May 3, 2022

  • Visualization

    Visualization

    Lessons Map: An overview of five case studies in the field of early childhood development

    This Lessons Map is an aid to navigating five case studies produced by RAND Europe for the Bernard van Leer Foundation on efforts to make changes at scale in the area of early childhood development.

    Apr 7, 2022

  • Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking: Technical Appendixes

    Journal Article

    Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking: Technical Appendixes

    These technical appendixes present the in-depth information and analyses that informed the findings and recommendations contained in the Commission's final report.

    Feb 8, 2022

  • Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking: Final Report

    Journal Article

    Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking: Final Report

    This final report describes items involving the illegal manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic opioids.

    Feb 8, 2022

  • Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking: Initial Report

    Journal Article

    Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking: Initial Report

    This initial report describes how the Commission planned to conduct the research and analysis leading to its final report.

    Feb 7, 2022

  • President Joe Biden signs the American Rescue Plan in the Oval Office, at the White House in Washington, D.C., March, 11, 2021, photo by Doug Mills/Pool/Sipa USA/Reuters

    Commentary

    Temporary Safety-Net Policies Prevented Mass Insurance Loss During the Pandemic

    Although it provided a foundation, the ACA alone could not have absorbed the effects of the pandemic's sudden job losses on health care coverage. Temporary expansions to the safety net enacted by Congress also were necessary to stem coverage loss. As the pandemic continues, policymakers will want to keep safety-net provisions as available policy options.

    Dec 13, 2021

  • Marijuana in a jar, photo by MmeEmil/Getty Images

    Commentary

    Green Light for Cannabis Legalisation in Germany Is Not a Clear-Cut Decision

    The new “traffic light” coalition in Germany recently agreed to regulate the sale of cannabis to adults for recreational purposes in licensed shops. International experience has shown that great care is needed in how cannabis policy is shaped.

    Dec 6, 2021

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