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Social Equity

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Social equity is the fair and just management of all institutions serving the public, distribution of public services, and implementation of public policy; and the commitment to promote fairness, justice, and equity in policymaking. RAND research examines the compounding effects of racial bias; equity in schools, workplaces, the military, and the justice system; equity in disaster preparation, response, and recovery; equity in infrastructure planning; and equity in climate resilience.

Essay
What Would It Take to Close America's Black-White Wealth Gap?
White Americans hold ten times more total wealth than Black Americans, a disparity that has worsened in recent decades. RAND researchers modeled wealth across millions of households and tested several funding scenarios to see which could most effectively close the gap.
May 9, 2023
Multimedia
What Does Environmental Justice Look Like?
Videos describe the impact of grassroots environmental justice campaigns in two redlined neighborhoods. This work features RAND research that shows how a shared community vision can help residents, organizers, and policymakers understand the root causes of injustices and identify actionable responses.
Apr 19, 2023

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News Release
Americans' Willingness to Use Video Telehealth Has Risen During COVID-19 Pandemic
Americans' use and willingness to use video telehealth has increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising most sharply among Black Americans and people with less education.
Nov 7, 2022
Journal Article
Food Insecurity, Sleep, and Cardiometabolic Risks in Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Youth
Food insecurity contributes to racial/ethnic disparities in health. This is the first study to examine associations among food insecurity, sleep, and cardiometabolic outcomes in urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth.
Nov 4, 2022
Commentary
The Equity-First Vaccination Initiative's Challenges and Successes
The Equity-First Vaccination Initiative invested $21 million in community-based organizations to reduce racial disparities in vaccination rollout and support strengthening public health systems in the United States over the longer term. The initiative demonstrated a path forward for funders to center equity in their approach to grantmaking.
Nov 3, 2022
Report
Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women's Health in Lung Cancer
The authors find that small investments are likely to yield large gains from increasing research funding in lung cancer; investing in women's health research yields benefits above investing in general research.
Nov 1, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: November-December 2022
Features explore an innovative fellowship for military veterans, spouses, and caregivers; how veterans fare in the civilian labor market after leaving the military; and the impact of racism on patient safety in health care settings.
Oct 31, 2022
Journal Article
Association Between Hospital-Physician Vertical Integration and Medication Adherence Rates
Increases in vertical integration were not associated with changes in medication adherence rates. However, adherence rates after vertical integration declined for non-Whites, patients over 80 years old, and patients with greater comorbidities.
Oct 28, 2022
Blog
Racism and Patient Safety, Abortion After Dobbs, Homelessness: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss racism and patient safety, abortion in America after the Dobbs ruling, how to address homelessness in Los Angeles, and more.
Oct 28, 2022
Journal Article
Suicidality Among Sexual Minority Adults: Gender, Age, and Race/Ethnicity Differences
This study examined past-year suicide thoughts, plans, and attempts among adult respondents to the 2015–2019 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (pooled N=191,954).
Oct 27, 2022
Journal Article
Mental Health Service Use Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults Who Report Having Attempted Suicide
This study estimated mental health service use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults in the United States who reported having made a suicide attempt.
Oct 27, 2022
Journal Article
Perceived Substance Use Risks Among Never Users: Sexual Identity Differences in a Sample of U.S. Young Adults
This investigation provides evidence that LGB adults perceive lower risks associated with multiple substance use behaviors than heterosexual adults, which may indicate important sexual identity differences in susceptibility to substance use initiation.
Oct 27, 2022
Journal Article
Examining Inhalant Use Among Sexual Minority Adults in a National Sample: Drug-Specific Risks or Generalized Risk?
This study compared use of 12 specific inhalants among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults relative to heterosexual adults in a national sample.
Oct 27, 2022
Essay
The Impact of Racism on Patient Safety
Minoritized patients are at high risk of experiencing what the medical field calls “patient safety events.” But the way the U.S. health care system tracks patient safety too often makes their experiences invisible. Better reporting would allow hospitals and other providers to identify disparities in care, and to address them.
Oct 26, 2022
Commentary
Los Angeles Mayoral Debate Misleads on Approaches to Homelessness
They may not mean to, but Los Angeles politicians continue to imply that there is a primary “fix” for homelessness, be it temporary shelters or permanent supportive housing. But those are just pieces of a very complex puzzle. The region needs a robust continuum of care. Although some efforts exist, they have not been scaled up to meet the need.
Oct 26, 2022
News Release
Second Annual RAND-AUC Consortium Policy Hackathon to Focus on Justice Reinvestment
Undergraduate students from four Atlanta University Center (AUC) Consortium schools will collaborate with Pardee RAND doctoral students to identify potential justice reinvestment policy options during a virtual hackathon offered by the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and the AUC.
Oct 26, 2022
Brochure
Housing and Homelessness Research Résumé
This short film provides a brief summary of the RAND Corporation's rich contribution to research in the area of housing and homelessness on a national level.
Oct 25, 2022
Q&A
Abortion After the Dobbs Decision: Q&A with RAND Researchers
The overturning of Roe v. Wade is likely to disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including U.S. service women and pregnant women with substance use disorders. And abortion misinformation will likely increase. RAND researchers discuss these issues and potential policy responses.
Oct 25, 2022
Journal Article
"Palliative Care Is the Only Medical Field That I Feel Like I'm Treated As a Person, Not As a Black Person": A Mixed-Methods Study of Minoritized Patient Experiences with Palliative Care
The goal of this mixed-methods study was to examine differences in patient experiences by race/ethnicity in palliative care and to qualitatively explore minoritized patient experiences with care for a serious illness.
Oct 24, 2022
Commentary
Privacy Rights Have Changed. Will Data Handling Follow?
Until privacy protection laws are cemented into place, consumer privacy won't be assured unless consumers can effectively take the steps they need to take to protect their data. Tech companies might view this as a burden, but there will likely be profits for those companies that instead see it as an opportunity.
Oct 24, 2022
Research Brief
Actions the Army Can Take to Reduce Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Gender Discrimination
This research brief highlights top-line findings from four different projects that have implications for strategies to prevent sexual harassment and sexual assault in the U.S. Army.
Oct 20, 2022
Infographic
Characteristics of Active-Duty Soldiers' Most Serious Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Experiences
This infographic presents characteristics of sexual harassment and sexual assault experiences among U.S. active-duty soldiers, with a focus on identifying differences across several demographic and military characteristics.
Oct 20, 2022

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Jennifer Bouey

Senior Policy Researcher

Dr. Jennifer Bouey is a senior policy researcher, Tang Chair for China Policy Studies, and an epidemiologist at the RAND Corporation. She also serves as the department chair for Global Health at Georgetown University and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She…
David Metz

Quantitative Analyst

David Metz is a senior quantitative analyst who specializes in benefit-cost analysis and other quantitative methods to evaluate the impacts of policies and programs across a broad range of topics, including homeland security, occupational safety and health, hazard mitigation, and equity. David's…

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