Market Regulation

  • An NYPD officer stands across the street from the Apple Store on 5th Ave. in New York, March 11, 2016

    Commentary

    The False Choice at the Core of the Apple-FBI Standoff

    The Apple-FBI case should spark a broader debate among technology companies concerning their role in maintaining the privacy and security balance. A starting point should be to recognize that the majority of cyberattacks are related to phishing—and a user's action—not to whether a device can be secured.

    Mar 21, 2016

  • Bruce Sewell, senior vice president and general counsel for Apple Inc., is sworn in before testifying to the House Judiciary hearing on

    Commentary

    How the 'Wonks' of Public Policy and the 'Geeks' of Tech Can Get Together

    Conventional wisdom says that technology innovates and disrupts, while public policy regulates and controls. What might a better integration of the commercial tech sector with the policy community look like?

    Mar 18, 2016

  • An oil refinery is seen in Carson, California, March 4, 2015

    Report

    Proposed Refinery Regulations in California Could Provide Safety and Cost Benefits

    New regulations could improve safety at oil and gas refineries in California and benefit nearby communities. Even if the proposed regulations make refineries only 7.3 percent safer than they are currently, they will be worth their implementation costs.

    Mar 16, 2016

  • Two teenagers at a convenience store counter

    Essay

    Fake Convenience Store, Real Implications for Youth Smoking

    In a simulated convenience store, hiding the can't-miss display of tobacco products behind the cashier decreased kids' intention to smoke in the future.

    Mar 3, 2016

  • Crossing into Romania from Bulgaria on the Danube Bridge

    Commentary

    Why the EU Single Market Is Still an Incomplete Jigsaw

    The Single Market has contributed to economic growth and consumer welfare within the European Union. However, its true potential remains unfulfilled, with gaps in several key areas.

    Feb 16, 2016

  • Scientists working in a laboratory

    Commentary

    Will the Pharmaceutical Industry Learn from Past Mistakes?

    Research-based pharmaceutical companies that truly innovate could distance themselves from companies that operate like hedge funds, seeking out investment opportunities rather than focusing on research.

    Jan 22, 2016

  • Medical staff helping senior woman walk with a walker

    Commentary

    More Research Is Needed on Artificial Joints and Patients Can Play a Key Role

    Safety problems with artificial knees and hips, including product recalls, highlight the need for more patient-centered research. RAND has partnered with CreakyJoints in a project intended to train a group of patients to get involved in research on this topic.

    Jan 22, 2016

  • Tobacco product power wall behind the cashier

    Research Brief

    Can Big Tobacco's Power Wall Be Breached?

    Many convenience stores feature a “power wall” of tobacco products behind the cashier. Hiding the power wall is a promising regulatory option for reducing the impact of tobacco advertising on adolescents.

    Dec 9, 2015

  • Cigarettes are displayed behind the counter of a convenient store

    Journal Article

    Hiding Tobacco Products at Convenience Stores Reduces Teens' Risk of Future Tobacco Use

    Hiding the tobacco

    Dec 3, 2015

  • News Release

    News Release

    Hiding Tobacco Products at Convenience Stores Reduces Teens' Risk of Future Tobacco Use

    An 11 percent reduction in cigarette smoking susceptibility occurred when the tobacco “power wall” was hidden compared to when the display of tobacco products was visible behind the cashier.

    Nov 23, 2015

  • A worker tends to cannabis plants at a medical marijuana plantation near the northern Israeli city of Safed

    Commentary

    The 10 Ps of Marijuana Legalization

    Marijuana policy is a growing topic of discussion, and laws are starting to change. Ten choices confronting jurisdictions considering legalization cover many of the critical decisions that will determine whether removing prohibition is a good idea.

    Jun 22, 2015

  • Pills on a stock chart next to a calculator and pen

    Commentary

    Paying for Pricey Medications: Debt Financing Options Could Provide a Solution

    A new approach may be needed to finance an emerging breed of expensive but highly effective pharmaceuticals and vaccines. The health care industry could learn from other industry approaches such as equipment leases or supplier-financed credit.

    Jun 22, 2015

  • Labels with prices are placed next to marijuana for sale at the grand opening of The Cannabis Corner, the first city-owned recreational marijuana store in the country, in North Bonneville, Washington March 7, 2015

    Commentary

    Unprecedented Changes in Marijuana Policy

    The marijuana policy landscape changed dramatically in 2014. Legal sales for nonmedical purposes began in Colorado and in Washington state. Voters in Washington, D.C., Alaska, and Oregon passed initiatives to liberalize their marijuana laws. Uruguay also started implementing its marijuana legalization law.

    Apr 30, 2015

  • News Release

    News Release

    Alternative Financing Schemes May Be Needed to Pay for Expensive New Medications

    In an era of $1,000-a-pill medications, a new approach may be needed to finance an emerging breed of highly expensive pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Health care could learn from other industries, where it is common for suppliers to encourage investment through approaches such as equipment leases or supplier-financed credit.

    Mar 11, 2015

  • Assorted colorful pills and capsules of medication

    Report

    Alternative Financing Schemes May Be Needed to Pay for Expensive New Medications

    In an era of $1,000-a-pill medications, a new approach may be needed to finance an emerging breed of highly expensive pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Health care could learn from other industries, where it is common for suppliers to encourage investment through approaches such as equipment leases or supplier-financed credit.

    Mar 11, 2015

  • A pack of cigarettes with a warning label in Montreal, Canada, June 28, 2007

    Commentary

    Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarettes Are Scary, but Do They Work?

    “Graphic warning labels” pair gruesome images with warnings about the dangers of smoking, covering anywhere from 30 to 80 percent of cigarette pack “faces” (the front and back). Do they prevent people from starting to smoke or cause current smokers to quit?

    Sep 30, 2014

  • U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama exercises with children at Orr Elementary School in Washington

    Commentary

    Michelle Obama Shouldn't Be the Only One Fighting Obesity

    To identify the policies that will make a big fat dent in obesity rates, we first need an accurate diagnosis: Americans are overweight and obese because they are inundated with too much food. The use of impulse marketing strategies has skyrocketed, with invitations to indulge at every turn.

    Jan 17, 2014

  • Proprietors of the first marijuana retailers licensed to sell pot for recreational use in Colorado

    Commentary

    The Feds' Role After Legalization

    Since Colorado and Washington allow profit-maximizing firms to grow and sell marijuana, there is concern they will use advertising to promote consumption by heavy users. With help from the federal government, the states will be better positioned to head off the negative consequences associated with commercialization.

    Jan 15, 2014

  • Electric power plant

    Report

    Modeling Industry Transformation and the Political Sustainability of Emission Control Policies

    Limiting climate change will require transformation of energy and other systems. A new model that uses Robust Decision Making tools enables decisionmakers to compare the long-term sustainability of alternative carbon emission reduction policies.

    Sep 6, 2013

  • offering a cigarette from the pack on the street

    Commentary

    Big Tobacco vs. Tobacco Regulation and Control: An Even Match?

    Anti-tobacco policies that have clear scientific support will strengthen the FDA's regulatory position. While the evidence base is solid in this area, it needs to be much stronger and broader if the TCA is going to have any lasting success against the industry.

    Aug 26, 2013