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Report
How Do Americans View Diplomacy and Diplomats?
A survey asked Americans what they think about diplomacy, the U.S. Foreign Service, and other officials who represent the nation abroad. Impressions were generally favorable, but some lacked understanding of what diplomats do, how they are selected, and the role of diplomacy in national security.
Jun 8, 2022
Commentary
Yoon Suk-yeol Is Biden's Perfect South Korea Partner
Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea's conservative new president, has shown that he is in lockstep with U.S. President Joe Biden on foreign policy. During Biden's Indo-Pacific trip in May, their conversations in the security domain suggest Yoon's overlapping tenure with Biden heralds a golden era in the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
Jul 5, 2022

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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
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
Commentary
Five Factors to Watch as the Chinese Communist Party Faces Protests
It may be too soon to compare protests against China's zero-COVID policy to the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement. However, looking back to 1989 can still provide valuable insights into what might happen next.
Nov 30, 2022
Commentary
How Russia's War in Ukraine Has Impacted Its Christian Image
Over the past decade, the Russian government has taken pains to present itself as a bastion of Christianity and traditional values. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, however, there have been noticeable cracks in the receptivity to this messaging strategy.
Nov 16, 2022
Journal Article
Policymaking to Support Resilience in Democratic Countries: An Examination of Sweden, Israel, and Australia
This article identifies measures that contribute to resilience in democracies. Policymakers in democratic countries should anticipate emerging trends and threats to enhance their resilience in a complex and dangerous security environment.
Nov 8, 2022
Journal Article
Shared Cultural Ancestry Predicts the Global Diffusion of Democracy
Countries with shared linguistic and religious ancestry have similar democracy outcomes.
Nov 4, 2022
Commentary
The Iran Protests: A Crossroads in Governance?
Iran has seen large-scale protests in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the Iranian morality police in September. But are these protests the spark that will usher in a democratic form of governance in Iran?
Nov 4, 2022
Commentary
Xi Jinping Is Weaker Than You Think
Although Xi wields significant influence over Chinese domestic politics—certainly more than his most recent predecessors—he still needs support from the Party elite. And on that front, some cracks are showing.
Oct 14, 2022
Commentary
COVID-19's Biggest Casualty May Be Governability
Pandemics fuel pre-existing prejudices, deepen social divisions, and increase political tensions. As the United States heads into the midterm elections, the parties should be prepared to face headwinds whichever side emerges with control of Congress. COVID-19's biggest political casualty might be governability.
Oct 11, 2022
Commentary
Will Putin's War in Ukraine Continue Without Him?
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there has been ongoing deliberation about how long Putin will remain in power. But the West should not assume a change of leadership would result in an end to the war, at least in the short term, as Putin's war could very well continue without Putin.
Oct 10, 2022
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
Commentary
Regime Change in Russia?
A careful strategy of strength and prudence has helped the West maintain security and manage relations with Moscow. The West may continue this course while upping the ante to help Ukraine defeat and expel Russian forces. In so doing, the West may also be advancing prospects for longer-term peace that might come only through liberalization in Russia.
Sep 21, 2022
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
Blog
Homelessness in L.A., Russia's Military Woes, Educator Morale: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on breaking the cycle of incarceration and homelessness, Russia’s ongoing military struggles, NATO expansion, and more.
Aug 19, 2022
Commentary
Understanding Russia's Motivations, and Using Them
The concept of ontological security could help explain Putin's war on Ukraine and his regime's reasoning. It's about maintaining a continuous sense of self, and in this case, of state identity. Putin may have deemed the invasion necessary to maintain a sense of continuity and order, where order is Russia's continued adversarial relationship with the West.
Aug 19, 2022
Report
An Exploratory Examination of Agent-Based Modeling for the Study of Social Movements
The authors of this report explore the use of agent-based modeling as a method for studying the effects of information and communications technologies on the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of social movements over time.
Aug 16, 2022
Report
Securing U.S. Elections
Election systems across U.S. states and jurisdictions are diverse in terms of governance and technology. How can state and local officials effectively assess and prioritize cybersecurity risk in the systems they oversee?
Aug 16, 2022
Commentary
Learning, Relearning, and Not Learning the Lessons of COVID-19
Recent announcements have demonstrated how little has been learned from the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the potential need for a national reckoning to assess shortfalls and develop recommendations for preparing for and responding to future pandemics and other biological risks. The United States could create a national commission to develop a way forward.
Aug 12, 2022
Essay
'The Future Could Be Brilliant': RAND's CEO Is an 'Apocaloptimist'
Jason Matheny, RAND's new president and CEO, explains why he's cautiously optimistic about the future of humanity, the importance of public service, and RAND's role in shaping policy solutions.
Aug 4, 2022
Commentary
The Irony of Misinformation: USIA Myths Block Enduring Solutions
Unlike Russia and China, the U.S. government has failed to institutionalize the importance of information in foreign policy. The United States lacks formalized leadership structures to tackle information issues head on, and a central organization to coordinate activities to understand, inform, and influence foreign audiences.
Jul 7, 2022

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