RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Commentary

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

Vaccination
Who Can Effectively Champion the Vax?
Apr 9, 2021
Lois M. Davis @LoisMDavis, Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard

Vaccine hesitancy appears to be one more hurdle in ending the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC would typically lead a campaign to overcome it, but Americans' trust in the CDC has declined measurably. Health care professionals may be more effective messengers when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines.
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Loose-Fit Infrastructure Can Better Account for Climate Change
Apr 8, 2021
Mikhail Chester, Constantine Samaras

As climate change accelerates there is a growing disconnect between what our infrastructure systems can do and what we need them to do. Policymakers should view infrastructure investments as not simply hardware fixes and upgrades, but as efforts to close this gap.
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Now Is (Finally) the Time to Future-Proof Our Infrastructure
Apr 1, 2021
Constantine Samaras, Mikhail Chester

The world is barreling toward a more volatile climate with infrastructure designed for the past. With infrastructure widely expected to be prioritized in Congress soon, every infrastructure bill is also a climate bill. It is critical that we make our infrastructure climate-safe.
Infrastructure Finance
Navigating Speed Bumps to a Possible Federal Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee
Mar 26, 2021
Liisa Ecola, Laura Patton

It's been clear for years that the gas tax has been losing its ability to pay for America's existing roads and bridges, let alone improvements and new construction. A vehicle miles traveled fee could provide a potential option for a 21st-century transportation funding system.
Energy Security
The Pentagon Could Help Improve Resilience of the U.S. Electric Grid
Mar 25, 2021
Beth E. Lachman, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright

The resilience and robustness of the U.S. electric grid needs to be improved, especially given the likely increased occurrence and magnitude of natural disasters due to climate change. This is where government entities that operate large facilities in the United States, such as the Department of Defense, can potentially play a role.
Asian Populations
Asian American Lives and Livelihoods Don't Just Deserve Our Qualified Support
Mar 22, 2021
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung, Peter Nguyen, et al.

Racism against Asian Americans is deeply rooted in the history of the United States. Enduring stereotypes about and bias towards Asian Americans, as well as lack of concern about them, have had long-standing harm on Asian American lives and livelihoods. What can the Asian American community and its allies do?
Displaced Persons
For Americans Uprooted by Climate Change, Mental Health Is the Next Crisis
Mar 15, 2021
Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, Saskia R. Vos, et al.

Across the United States, climate change is leading to migration. The challenges climate migrants face are not limited to basic needs, such as housing and employment. Rather, displacement may also create trauma. It's imperative that policymakers take mental health into account when devising climate change policies.
Refugees
Climate Change Migration: Developing a Security Strategy for All
Mar 15, 2021
Jeannette Gaudry Haynie, Jay Balagna, et al.

Over the past decade, an average of 21.5 million people annually have been forced to move due to the impacts of extreme weather. Building an understanding of the intersection between climate change, migration, and security is crucial and should take into account that many who face the most direct impacts of climate change are already among the most vulnerable.
Community Health and Well-Being
What Communities Need to Thrive: Q&A with Anita Chandra
Mar 8, 2021

Anita Chandra, vice president and director of RAND Social and Economic Well-Being, focuses on issues of health, well-being, and equity. She is researching how to create a culture of health, how to address inequities in the U.S. health system, and disaster response and resilience, especially in the context of the pandemic.
Police-Community Relations
Rethinking How Police Respond to Homelessness
Mar 4, 2021

Around one-fifth of people experiencing homelessness have a severe mental health disorder. Almost as many have a substance-use disorder. Police need better policies and community partnerships to help make their response to homelessness safer, more humane, and more effective.
Global Climate Change
California Needs a More Flexible Approach to Sea Level Rise Planning
Feb 18, 2021
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert, David Behar

Rising seas create significant risk to the health, safety, and economic vitality of California's coast communities, and we must prepare. A contingency-planning approach would provide flexible action over time and would build capacity that California and the nation need to respond to the many other serious and growing climate-related risks.
Emerging Technologies
Tech Alone Isn't Enough to Create a Successful Smart City
Feb 10, 2021
Jared Mondschein @JSMondschein, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg, et al.

Smart-city initiatives are popping up in small communities and large metropolitan regions alike. But these initiatives have run into significant hurdles. Some cities have developed frameworks to overcome these challenges, but many continue to struggle.
Impoverished Populations
Striking Rates of Food Insecurity in Two Pittsburgh Neighborhoods
Feb 9, 2021
Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel, Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz

The number of Americans experiencing food insecurity has increased since the pandemic began. And rates are higher among African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. Proactive and aggressive policy actions could help reduce the inequities in places like Pittsburgh's Hill District and Homewood neighborhoods.
Community Health and Well-Being
Understanding Our Culture of Health Before the Pandemic Can Help Us Improve It Afterward
Jan 29, 2021
Carolyn Miller, Anita Chandra

Measuring health and the social and economic factors that influenced it before the pandemic helps us understand the kind of risks the United States faced previously. It can also inform how to move forward toward recovery.
Domestic Terrorism
How Threats Against Lawmakers Could Distort the Political Landscape for Years
Jan 25, 2021
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

The political environment is changing in a way that goes beyond immediate security concerns. The prevalence of threats and violence as a feature of American politics will ripple throughout the political system. Our politics could be distorted by the vicious atmosphere for years.
Communities
COVID-19 Has Offered Opportunities for Communities to Come Together
Jan 13, 2021
Katherine Grace Carman @KGCarman, Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz, et al.

The past year has been among the most turbulent in recent memory. Might recent crises provide a catalyst for a renewed sense of civic engagement that transcends some of the race and class divisions COVID-19 has exacerbated?
Community-Based Participatory Research
Local Communities Need a Voice in How to 'Build Back Better'
Jan 12, 2021
Max Izenberg, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg

Long before it was popularized and made its way into political slogans and economic recovery battle cries, the phrase “building back better” was a central tenet of disaster recovery and community resilience. How should community voices be incorporated into “building back better” processes?

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Next

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The Role of Data in the Fight Against COVID-19

The Policy Currents Podcast

Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive

Managing Escalation in Crisis and War

Planning for the Rising Costs of Dementia

Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research

RAND Social and Economic Well-Being Commentary

Who Can Effectively Champion the Vax?

Loose-Fit Infrastructure Can Better Account for Climate Change

Now Is (Finally) the Time to Future-Proof Our Infrastructure

Navigating Speed Bumps to a Possible Federal Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee

The Pentagon Could Help Improve Resilience of the U.S. Electric Grid

Asian American Lives and Livelihoods Don't Just Deserve Our Qualified Support

For Americans Uprooted by Climate Change, Mental Health Is the Next Crisis

Climate Change Migration: Developing a Security Strategy for All

What Communities Need to Thrive: Q&A with Anita Chandra

Rethinking How Police Respond to Homelessness

California Needs a More Flexible Approach to Sea Level Rise Planning

Tech Alone Isn't Enough to Create a Successful Smart City

Striking Rates of Food Insecurity in Two Pittsburgh Neighborhoods

Understanding Our Culture of Health Before the Pandemic Can Help Us Improve It Afterward

How Threats Against Lawmakers Could Distort the Political Landscape for Years

COVID-19 Has Offered Opportunities for Communities to Come Together

Local Communities Need a Voice in How to 'Build Back Better'

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