North America

  • Road sign reading Stop Gun Violence in front of city buildings, photo by gerenme/Getty Images

    Commentary

    Historic Research Conference Combats the Rise in Gun Violence

    With new funding for gun violence prevention research, projects are beginning to produce findings. To capitalize on the new findings and help integrate the growing field of researchers working on gun violence prevention, RAND partnered with other research programs to organize the 2022 National Research Conference on Firearm Injury Prevention.

    Dec 9, 2022

  • Packages of Suboxone photographed in a pharmacy in Remington, Virginia, February 26, 2019, photo by Kris Tripplaar/Reuters

    News Release

    Buprenorphine Use Remained Stable During First Year of Pandemic, but New Prescriptions Dropped During Period

    The number of active prescriptions for the opioid disorder treatment drug buprenorphine remained constant during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the number of new prescriptions for the treatment was far below what would normally have been expected.

    Dec 7, 2022

  • News Release

    News Release

    Americans' Spending Declines Consistently After Age 65; Finding Applies Broadly Across All Wealth Groups

    Americans' personal spending drops consistently after age 65, both among the affluent and those with lower levels of financial resources. The findings contradict traditional wisdom that spending will be constant or even increase during older age, and suggests that individuals and couples could spend more early in retirement.

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory module is shown attached to the International Space Station

    Multimedia

    The Future of Space Cooperation Between the U.S. and Japan

    Over two days in March 2022, experts from the United States and Japan presented their vision for the future of space science and exploration, cooperation between the U.S. and Japan, and the future space economy.

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Illustrations of a black woman and a tree representing wealth, illustration by Pete Soriano, from Atlas Illustrations and dar/Adobe Stock

    Report

    Accounting for Black-White Wealth Differences

    Wealth accumulation is not solely determined by a person's choices and ability. Many factors affect individual wealth, including parental income, credit, and systemic discrimination. These factors have a cumulative effect and can lead to persistent disparities over generations.

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Illustrations of a black woman and a tree representing wealth, illustration by Pete Soriano, from Atlas Illustrations and dar/Adobe Stock

    Report

    Examining the Loss of Wealth and Downward Mobility of African Americans

    Black children who grow up in middle-class households are less likely than white children who grow up in middle-class households to replicate their parents' socioeconomic status. What key factors contribute to this disparity?

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Illustrations of a black man and a tree representing wealth, illustration by Pete Soriano, from Atlas Illustrations and dar/Adobe Stock

    Report

    Overcoming Compound Racial Inequity

    Differences in Black and white Americans' economic status show how the harms of the past—slavery, segregation, discrimination—live on in the present. Could wealth allocations help to close the racial wealth gap?

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Black couple holding sold sign sitting on porch of a house, photo by valentinrussanov/Getty Images

    Commentary

    To Help African Americans Gain Generational Wealth, Look to the Housing Market

    African American families have significantly less wealth than White families, even after reaching the middle class. Home ownership is, for the vast majority of Americans, the primary vehicle for accruing wealth, and passing it down through generations. This is a crucial time for policymakers to consider policies that focus on improving home ownership rates for African Americans.

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Kathy Spencer sorts the dozens of pills she must take since contracting COVID-19 in November 2020, in Kensington, Connecticut, January 11, 2022, photo by Mark Mirko/TNS/ABACA via Reuters Connect

    Commentary

    Long COVID Is a Mass Disability. The Labor Market Is in Denial

    Forget the work-from-home revolution or quiet quitting: The COVID-19 pandemic's biggest impact on the U.S. labor market will be as a mass disability event. It's a shock that the economy is not well prepared to handle.

    Dec 7, 2022

  • Journal Article

    Journal Article

    Misinformation, Anticipated Regret, and Vaccine-Related Behaviors

    A national survey ( N = 1025) conducted in August 2021 reveals that Americans' belief in misinformation about COVID-19 was negatively associated with vaccine acceptance.

    Dec 6, 2022

  • RAND Weekly Recap

    Blog

    Protests in China, Negotiating with Russia, L.A.'s 'Mansion Tax': RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on protests in China amid the government's zero-COVID policy, the potential harm in negotiating with Russia, building more affordable housing in Los Angeles, and more.

    Dec 2, 2022

  • A pedestrian passes a help wanted sign in the door of a hardware store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, July 8, 2022, photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters

    Commentary

    How COVID-19 Transformed the Jobs Market

    The COVID-19 pandemic initially devastated the U.S. economy. It also exposed and exacerbated existing inequities in society. But in as yet unpredictable ways, it may have accelerated profound changes in how labor works today.

    Dec 1, 2022

  • Black woman teacher in a classroom, photo by NappyStock/Pexels

    Commentary

    Keeping Teachers of Color in the Classroom Will Take More Than a Pay Raise

    All students—but particularly Black and Latinx students—benefit academically and socially from having teachers who are people of color. Policymakers and education leaders can help these teachers stay in the profession by making teaching more financially sustainable and fostering collegial relationships within school communities.

    Dec 1, 2022

  • People take part in the Veteran's Day Parade in Manhattan, New York City, New York, November 11, 2021, photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters

    Commentary

    Veterans Need to Share Their Stories

    In his book War and Homecoming: Veteran Identity and the Post-9/11 Generation, Travis Martin explores how veterans see themselves—and how that is influenced by the way civilians see them. He delves into stereotypes of military service, then argues that veterans can craft their own identities by telling their own stories.

    Dec 1, 2022

  • paper dolls

    Project

    Evaluation of California's Statewide Mental Health Prevention and Early Intervention Initiatives

    The RAND Corporation is evaluating California's statewide prevention and early intervention programs, which aim to reduce negative outcomes for people experiencing mental illness.

    Nov 30, 2022

  • Military aircraft participate in an exercise near Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 9, 2021, photo by SrA Duncan Bevan/U.S. Air Force

    Report

    Managing Escalation While Competing Effectively in the Indo-Pacific

    In response to China's expanding military activity in the Indo-Pacific, the United States has increased its activity in the region over the past decade. How can America continue to safeguard its interests while limiting potential risks of escalation with China?

    Nov 30, 2022

  • Abstract representation of civic infrastructure, image by CSA-Printstock/Getty Images, design by Pete Soriano/RAND Corporation

    Report

    Defining and Measuring Civic Infrastructure

    Is the United States in a civic crisis? Or is American democracy simply evolving? A framework for defining and measuring civic infrastructure can help answer these questions—and preserve a healthy democracy.

    Nov 30, 2022

  • Group of high school students hanging out, photo by FatCamera/Getty Images

    Report

    Evaluation of Los Angeles County's 2022 WeRise Mental Health Events

    This evaluation indicates that the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health WeRise events and outreach successfully reached county residents, mobilized them around mental health, and may have boosted awareness of mental health resources.

    Nov 30, 2022

  • Stadium lights at low dusk, photo by pastorscott/Getty Images

    Report

    Evaluation of Los Angeles County's L.A. Dodgers 2022 Mental Health Campaign

    This evaluation indicates that the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health–Dodgers partnership to expand the reach of the WhyWeRise program successfully reached county residents and raised awareness of county mental health resources.

    Nov 30, 2022

  • Three drones are set up at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, August 10, 2020, photo by Spc. Khalil Jenkins/U.S. Army

    Report

    A New Era of Major-Power Competition

    While there is a general consensus that the United States is now in a new era of strategic competition with China and Russia, there is not yet a clear understanding of what that means or what forms it could take. How can the United States best position itself to succeed?

    Nov 30, 2022