RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Commentary

Taking the Measure of AI and National Security

Transformative technologies should not be abandoned due to their risks. Instead, we should focus on understanding the threats, implementing necessary countermeasures, and utilizing the tools in a safer and more secure manner.

Christopher A. Mouton, Caleb Lucas

It's Time to Take Societal Resilience Seriously

To build the societal resilience required to respond effectively to everything from climate-related emergencies to pandemics, to intentional state-on-state attacks, and disinformation, a joint approach is needed, not only across government, but across wider society.

Rebecca Lucas

After Maui Fires, Food Security Is a Major Concern and Opportunity

The full impact of the deadly Maui fires on food resilience strategies remains to be seen. But the disaster highlights an urgent need for a systems-based approach to address both food security and wildfire prevention.

Lena Easton-Calabria

Is Believing Our Kids Are Safer Worth Closing Off Some of Their Futures?

Placing an officer in a school appears to reduce violence and petty crimes within a school. But it also creates long-term negative consequences for students who are increasingly likely to become involved in the school disciplinary system.

Lucy C. Sorensen, Shawn D. Bushway @BushwayShawn, et al.

Much of the Damage in Maui Will Be Invisible, but Very Real

In addition to decimating buildings and other infrastructure, disasters also destroy human capital, the collective knowledge and skills that drive individual economic earnings, as well as regional economic growth. Failing to address these more-hidden damages is incredibly costly.

Isaac M. Opper

The Promise—and Pitfalls—of Researching Extremism Online

How big of a problem is extremism in the United States and around the world? Is it getting worse? Are social media platforms responsible, or did the internet simply reveal existing trends? We have few answers because this research is easy to do poorly and hard to do well.

Heather J. Williams @HeatherJWill, Alexandra T. Evans @AlexandraTEvans, et al.

How Do We Make Early Warning and Early Action for Food Security More Effective?

Although food security early warning early action (FS-EWEA) has a track record of reducing food insecurity, Professor Aaron Clark-Ginsberg and student Loveline Phillips explain that it is designed for rural settings, and effective action remains elusive. Extending FS-EWEA to the millions living in fragile urban contexts requires answering four critical questions.

Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, Loveline Chizobam Phillips

When Mass Shooters Are Seeking Fame

What motivates mass shooters? And what might break the cycle of violence? Developing an effective policy response first requires better understanding of the factors that drive would-be attackers to kill.

Pauline Moore, Heather J. Williams @HeatherJWill, et al.

The Arctic Is Our Last Global Commons—Let's Manage Its Fisheries Properly

It is time to create a multilateral Arctic fisheries management plan before a moratorium on fishing in Arctic high seas sunsets in 2037. Agreements can lead to economic and food security for partners; a lack of coordination will lead to conflict, environmental degradation, and overfishing. The clock is ticking.

Katherine Anania

Will L.A. Have an Office Apocalypse or Housing Boom? Tax Breaks Might Make the Difference

Facing a persistent housing crisis, Los Angeles is doubling down on converting unused commercial buildings into residential properties. But high interest rates make conversions more costly to finance. To mitigate this risk, L.A. might consider fiscal policy that would tip the scale more convincingly toward adaptive reuse.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

Treating Mental Health Within Jails Should Start Beyond Jails

In the United States, people with mental health concerns are disproportionately jailed at a staggering rate. It is essential that people have access to the health care they need while incarcerated. But efforts to build up community-based alternatives are essential, too.

Stephanie Brooks Holliday

State and Local Policy Is Changing for Psychedelics. What Will the Feds Do?

Psychedelics are attracting interest as a treatment for some mental health conditions. In response, some states and cities are changing their laws and policies on the supply and use of these mind-altering substances. But like cannabis, most psychedelics are federally prohibited—raising some tough questions for the federal government.

Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand

We Aren't Helpless in the Face of Increasing Fires and Smoke

Modernizing, better funding, and expanding wildland firefighting forces in North America won't make fires or smoke magically disappear. A massive paradigm shift is necessary. But it's clear something needs to happen immediately too.

Jay Balagna

How Can Platforms Deal with Toxic Content? Look to Wall Street

Social media has a content problem. It's not the content itself, although the list of toxic material is long. The problem is the sheer volume of content. Instead of trusting in self-regulation, the United States could use its regulation of Wall Street after 2008 as a roadmap for regulating tech.

James V. Marrone

Public Health's Failure to Communicate with Communities of Color

Misinformation thrived during the pandemic, exacerbating health inequities. To meet its core mission, the public health field needs to engage more actively, particularly in communities it has historically failed to equitably protect.

Joie D. Acosta

The Changing Landscape of Health Literacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the official public health emergency ended, now is a good time to reflect on the changing landscape of health literacy and consider how we can improve health communication in the future.

Julia Bandini, Lucy B. Schulson, et al.

Mental Health First Aid: Training People to Help Others

An innovative program trains and empowers people to not look away from those experiencing mental illness, but to listen to them, reassure them, and encourage them to get help. Most trainees of the program in New York City were still using what they had learned five years later.