RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Commentary

Commentary from RAND researchers on topics related to social and economic well-being.

Autonomous Vehicles
Why AV Safety and Cybersecurity Need to Be Pursued in Tandem
Mar 20, 2019
Marjory S. Blumenthal @marjorysb
Safety and cybersecurity are generally pursued by separate teams within autonomous vehicle companies. A joint approach to standards could optimize safety and cybersecurity and reduce overall risks to autonomous vehicle operation.
Artificial Intelligence
The Promise and Perils of AI: Q&A with Douglas Yeung
Feb 27, 2019
Douglas Yeung, a social psychologist at RAND, discusses how any technology reflects the values, norms, and biases of its creators. Bias in artificial intelligence could have unintended consequences. He also warns that cyber attackers could deliberately introduce bias into AI systems.
Global Climate Change
Resilience and Adaptation Strategies Can Address the Impacts of Climate Change
Feb 26, 2019
With climate change already generating storms, heat waves, and droughts beyond historical norms, local governments need to do more to prepare. A decisionmaking framework developed by RAND allows communities to stress-test ideas, weigh the trade-offs, and plan for a range of possible futures.
Illegal Drugs
Opioids and a Crisis of Unintended Consequences
Feb 20, 2019
David Powell
The pain medicine OxyContin was reformulated in 2010 to make it more difficult to crush or dissolve. But this had unintended consequences, including a rise in hepatitis C infections as drug abusers switched from taking OxyContin to injecting heroin.
Transportation Safety
How to Make Roads Safer for Autonomous Vehicles
Feb 6, 2019
Laura Fraade-Blanar
No matter how much developers test autonomous vehicles, the world will still present unforeseen circumstances for vehicles to navigate. Roadways and vehicle design could be modified to better accommodate both human error and the shortcomings of autonomous vehicle systems.
United States
State of the Union: Insights from RAND
Feb 6, 2019
To shed light on a wide range of topics that figured in President Trump's second State of the Union address, we've rounded up insights from some of RAND's objective and nonpartisan research, analysis, and expertise.
Cybersecurity
Developing an Objective, Repeatable Scoring System for a Vulnerability Equities Process
Feb 5, 2019
Sasha Romanosky
If governments seek to create an objective framework for decision making about whether or when to disclose software vulnerabilities, what might that look like? What questions should be included, how should they influence the outcome and how can one interpret the results?
Global Climate Change
Triaging Climate Change
Jan 23, 2019
Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston, Johanna Nalau
There are many opportunities to manage climate risk around the world, but not everything can be saved. Delaying triage of climate damages could leave societies making ad hoc decisions instead of focusing on protecting the things they value most.
Social and Emotional Learning
The Impact of Restorative Practices
Jan 17, 2019
John Engberg, Catherine H. Augustine
A recent RAND report focuses on estimates of the impact of restorative practices on comprehensive outcome measures for all students. The report defines these measures in seven outcome domains and leads with the impact on suspensions. It estimates the impact on 50 secondary measures and on the seven primary measures for numerous student subgroups defined by race, income, special needs and English language learner status.
Artificial Intelligence
Does the United States Face an AI Ethics Gap?
Jan 11, 2019
Benjamin Boudreaux
Instead of worrying about an artificial intelligence “ethics gap,” U.S. policymakers and the military community could embrace a leadership role in AI ethics. This may help ensure that the AI arms race doesn't become a race to the bottom.
Community-Based Health Care
Faith-Based Organizations Promote Well-Being in Underserved Communities
Jan 4, 2019
Kathryn Derose, a senior policy researcher at RAND and an Episcopal deacon, works with Latino and African-American churches to address health issues in their communities. Her research has shown the power of the pulpit to fight health disparities, counter stigma, and encourage healthy living.
Information Privacy
Data Breaches Could Cause Users to Opt Out of Sharing Personal Data. Then What?
Dec 28, 2018
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
As tech-based systems have become all but indispensable, many institutions might assume user data will be reliable, meaningful and, most of all, plentiful. But what if this data became unreliable, meaningless, or even scarce?
Tobacco and Smoking
Vaping May Have Its Place, Just Not With Teens
Dec 17, 2018
Michael Stephen Dunbar, Elizabeth J. D'Amico
While e-cigarettes may be a “safer” option for adult smokers, they are not safe for young people. Teens who vape are significantly more likely to start smoking traditional cigarettes in the future.
Energy Conservation
Can Innovative Financing by the Public and Private Sectors Build on Momentum in Energy Efficiency Improvements for Affordable Multifamily Housing?
Dec 12, 2018
Lisa Jonsson, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright
Nearly one in three American households in 2015 reported difficulty paying their energy bills or sustaining adequate home heating and cooling. Emerging models of energy services and financing show promise, and could identify creative ways to increase access to funding that could preserve and improve home affordability for millions of Americans.
Mental Health and Illness
Is Los Angeles County Successfully Creating a Youth Movement Around Mental Health Issues?
Dec 6, 2018
Rebecca L. Collins
A new community engagement campaign called WhyWeRise seeks to increase awareness of mental health access as a civil rights issue and increase civic engagement. The campaign reached its target audience—people aged 14 to 24—and showed signs of changing attitudes toward mental illness.
Disaster Recovery Operations
Overlapping Environmental Disasters Put a Strain on Gulf Communities
Nov 29, 2018
Melissa L. Finucane @MelissaFinucane
For Gulf Coast residents, dealing with the impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster is challenging enough. With the Taylor Energy spill, they may face an even more daunting recovery, one that could take decades. Acknowledging the extent and complexity of recovery is the first step toward supporting coastal communities to build their resilience in the face of overlapping disasters.
Crime and Violence Prevention
Suppressing Motivation, Legitimacy Can Help Avoid Political Violence
Nov 28, 2018
John S. Hollywood
The threat of political violence is real and growing, but there are concrete things that can be done to reduce the risks. Solutions might include repeated statements from leaders that fear of people because of their ethnicity, religion, party, or social grouping is wrong and that violence against them is illegitimate and against American values.

Page 1 of 3
1
2
3
Next

Researcher Spotlight

Jordan R. Fischbach

Codirector, RAND Climate Resilience Center

Jordan Fischbach is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and codirector of the RAND Climate Resilience Center. He is a leader in climate adaptation, water resources management, and coastal planning. Fischbach has expertise in risk analysis, exploratory simulation modeling, and…

Deborah A. Cohen

Senior Physician Policy Researcher

Deborah Cohen is a senior physician policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty. She is the author of A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Influences Behind the Obesity Epidemic—and How We Can End It.

Laura Fraade-Blanar

Postdoctoral Fellow

Laura Fraade-Blanar is an NIH/NIA post-doctoral fellow at the RAND Center for the Study of Aging. Her work to date sits at the intersection of health, technology, and transportation. As a post-doctoral fellow at RAND, she applies her background in public health and injury epidemiology to current…

Robert J. Lempert

Director, Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition

Robert Lempert is a principal researcher at the RAND Corporation and Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition. His research focuses on risk management and decision-making under conditions of deep uncertainty, with an emphasis on…

How Has the Israel-China Relationship Evolved?

School Leadership: Teachers and Principals May Have Different Views

Assessing Confidence in “What Works” in Social Policy

A Taiwan Diplomatic Victory Over China Could Be Inevitable

Strategic Rethink: America's Security Deficit

The Policy Currents Podcast

Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

Planning for the Rising Costs of Dementia

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Commentary

Why AV Safety and Cybersecurity Need to Be Pursued in Tandem

The Promise and Perils of AI: Q&A with Douglas Yeung

Resilience and Adaptation Strategies Can Address the Impacts of Climate Change

Opioids and a Crisis of Unintended Consequences

How to Make Roads Safer for Autonomous Vehicles

State of the Union: Insights from RAND

Developing an Objective, Repeatable Scoring System for a Vulnerability Equities Process

Triaging Climate Change

The Impact of Restorative Practices

Does the United States Face an AI Ethics Gap?

Faith-Based Organizations Promote Well-Being in Underserved Communities

Data Breaches Could Cause Users to Opt Out of Sharing Personal Data. Then What?

Vaping May Have Its Place, Just Not With Teens

Can Innovative Financing by the Public and Private Sectors Build on Momentum in Energy Efficiency Improvements for Affordable Multifamily Housing?

Is Los Angeles County Successfully Creating a Youth Movement Around Mental Health Issues?

Overlapping Environmental Disasters Put a Strain on Gulf Communities

Suppressing Motivation, Legitimacy Can Help Avoid Political Violence

Contact Us

Follow