RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Commentary

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

Domestic Violence
After COVID-19: Prevent Homelessness Among Survivors of Domestic Abuse
Jul 2, 2020
Sierra Smucker, Alicia Revitsky Locker, et al.

Without assistance, domestic violence survivors—typically women and children—are more likely to be forced into homelessness. Now could be the best time to invest in programs that can help victims get out of unsafe living arrangements and into safe and stable housing before a second wave of COVID-19 cases pushes more families into unsafe environments.
Law Enforcement
Defund the LAPD? Garcetti Budget Proposal Takes a Step in That Direction
Jun 30, 2020
Alex Dopp, Stephanie Brooks Holliday, et al.

Calls to “defund the police” have grown common and urgent in the wake of police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and numerous other Black Americans. Research and community activists agree: Public safety can be improved by investing more public dollars in a social safety net, and less in policing and incarceration, in Los Angeles.
Police-Community Relations
Protests and Police Reform: Q&A with RAND Experts
Jun 18, 2020

After the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and subsequent nationwide protests, the United States is seeing urgent action to reform policing. Here are insights from four RAND researchers who work on policing and community safety issues.
Emerging Technologies
Bans on Facial Recognition Are Naive. Hold Law Enforcement Accountable for Its Abuse
Jun 17, 2020
Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba, Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung

Broader police reform may be difficult to achieve. But in the long run, it will be more effective than any specific technology ban.
Global Climate Change
What Can the Coronavirus Teach Us About Preparing for a Heat Wave?
Jun 8, 2020
Jaime Madrigano @JMadrigano

The occurrence of a heat wave during the pandemic may be the clearest example of an overlapping disaster in the near term, but we'll likely see more and more overlapping disasters brought about by a changing climate.
Data Analysis
Modeling the Future of COVID-19: Q&A with RAND Experts
May 26, 2020

The phrase “flatten the curve” familiarized Americans with epidemiological models used to estimate virus transmission, cases, and potential deaths from COVID-19. But new models are needed as the country enters a different stage of the crisis.
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Relaxing COVID-19 Restrictions Presents Stark Health and Economic Choices
May 18, 2020
Jeanne S. Ringel @JeanneRingel, Raffaele Vardavas, et al.

RAND's new publicly available COVID-19 interventions impact tool uses epidemiological and economic models and continually refreshed data to estimate what could happen as restrictions are eased. Our tool cannot make the choices confronting state leaders less painful, but it can provide clear evidence-based estimates of the health and economic trade-offs.
Health Information Privacy
Should Communities Be Concerned About Digital Technologies to Fight COVID-19?
May 13, 2020
Abbie Tingstad, Shira H. Fischer @ShiraFischer, et al.

Personal smart devices offer an unprecedented opportunity to identify, track, map, and communicate about COVID-19. But apps could pose privacy and security concerns.
Global Climate Change
Civilians and Military Collaborate to Address Climate Change
May 13, 2020

The Hampton Roads area in Virginia is home to more than 1.7 million people, a major port, and more military installations than anywhere else in the United States. Its rising sea levels and floods brought together civilian and military officials on a project to mitigate damage and foster resiliency.
Domestic Violence
Measures to Help Domestic Abuse Victims During COVID-19 Are Welcome but Not Enough
May 12, 2020
Madeline Nightingale, Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman, et al.

One of the most worrying and consistent trends during the COVID-19 lockdown is an increase in domestic violence. Governments are taking different approaches in how they act to stop the violence and help victims to be heard during the lockdown. Securing adequate resources for support services is vital.
Statistical Analysis Methodology
Don't Make the Pandemic Worse with Poor Data Analysis
May 6, 2020
Matthew D. Baird, David G. Groves, et al.

The need for immediate answers in the face of severe public health and economic distress may create a temptation to relax statistical standards. But urgency should not preclude expert analysis and honest assessments of uncertainty. Mistaken assumptions could lead to counterproductive actions.
Health Care Access
Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in the Time of COVID-19
May 5, 2020
Laura Fraade-Blanar, Christopher Whaley @cm_whaley

More widespread availability of rideshare for non-emergency medical transport may save lives, reserve emergency resources for those who need them, and provide safe pathways to primary care for the chronically ill. It could also save livelihoods, providing employment in a time of economic hardship.
Health Care Services Capacity
Don't Waste This Crisis: How America Can Begin Building a System of Health
May 4, 2020
Tim McDonald, Christopher Nelson, et al.

COVID-19 is shining a harsh spotlight on long-recognized but under-addressed gaps in the U.S. health system. There may never have been a more pressing time to think differently, broadening from health care services to a health-producing System of Health.
Community Health and Well-Being
Reopening America—The Health and Economic Tradeoffs: Q&A with RAND Experts
May 4, 2020

Local and state officials are thinking through whether, when, and how to lift social-distancing restrictions. We asked three RAND researchers about the complex problem of reopening.
Food Supply Security
Feeding the Needy and Protecting Workers on the Front Lines of the Pandemic
Apr 30, 2020
Andrea Richardson @ASRichardson3, Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz

Access to food could be critical to getting through the COVID-19 pandemic. Local leaders and policymakers may find themselves having to devote new resources to make sure all citizens have access to food and to protect those on the front lines.
Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Disruptions Due to COVID-19 and Social Distancing
Apr 28, 2020
Aaron Strong, Jonathan William Welburn @jwwelburn

There are significant epidemiological and economic risks and uncertainties with physical distancing policies put into effect in the United States to reduce the growth of COVID-19. We have estimated the economy-wide impacts of a set of these policies to provide a sense of their likely economic toll.
Law Enforcement
Reactivating Retirees for Police Service in Times of Crisis
Apr 21, 2020
Bob Harrison

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of police officers and deputies have been exposed to or tested positive for the coronavirus. Gaps in personnel coverage could be filled by easing restrictions on the hiring of retired police officers rather than relying on existing resources.

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Researcher Spotlight

Jordan R. Fischbach

Codirector, RAND Climate Resilience Center

Jordan R. Fischbach is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, codirector of RAND's Climate Resilience Center, quality assurance manager for the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC), and an affiliate faculty member at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Fischbach leads…

Deborah A. Cohen

Senior Physician Policy Researcher

Deborah Cohen is a senior physician policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. 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

Associate Policy Researcher

Laura Fraade-Blanar is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her work sits at the intersection of health, technology, and transportation. She focuses on safety and risk, applying her background in public health and injury epidemiology to questions around measuring the safety of…

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. Lempert’s work aims to…

Understanding Media Use and Literacy in Schools

The Strategic National Stockpile and COVID-19

Drone-Era Warfare Shows the Operational Limits of Air Defense Systems

Book Review: 'The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare' by Christian Brose

When Should We Stop Social Distancing?

The Policy Currents Podcast

Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change

Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

Developing Strategies for Summer Learning

RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Commentary

After COVID-19: Prevent Homelessness Among Survivors of Domestic Abuse

Defund the LAPD? Garcetti Budget Proposal Takes a Step in That Direction

Protests and Police Reform: Q&A with RAND Experts

Bans on Facial Recognition Are Naive. Hold Law Enforcement Accountable for Its Abuse

What Can the Coronavirus Teach Us About Preparing for a Heat Wave?

Modeling the Future of COVID-19: Q&A with RAND Experts

Relaxing COVID-19 Restrictions Presents Stark Health and Economic Choices

Should Communities Be Concerned About Digital Technologies to Fight COVID-19?

Civilians and Military Collaborate to Address Climate Change

Measures to Help Domestic Abuse Victims During COVID-19 Are Welcome but Not Enough

Don't Make the Pandemic Worse with Poor Data Analysis

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in the Time of COVID-19

Don't Waste This Crisis: How America Can Begin Building a System of Health

Reopening America—The Health and Economic Tradeoffs: Q&A with RAND Experts

Feeding the Needy and Protecting Workers on the Front Lines of the Pandemic

Supply Chain Disruptions Due to COVID-19 and Social Distancing

Reactivating Retirees for Police Service in Times of Crisis

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