Featured Research

Trimming U.S. Health Care Spending Will Require New Approaches in Designing, Adopting Strategies — Nov. 11, 2009

Curbing U.S. health care spending will likely require adopting an array of strategies and improving how promising strategies are moved into widespread use. The most promising option is changing the way providers are paid, but implementing such a system must overcome significant obstacles in order to be successful.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Study of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Questions Assumptions Behind "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" — Nov. 9, 2009

A new survey of military personnel who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan found that having an openly gay or lesbian colleague in their unit had no significant impact on their unit's cohesion or readiness, questing the assumption underlying the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

The Day After... in Jerusalem: A Strategic Planning Exercise on the Path to Middle East Peace — Nov. 6, 2009

Starting in 2008, the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy conducted a series of exercises to help the new U.S. administration address the challenges of the Arab-Israeli conflict (and of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular) as a key component of the broader effort to secure stability in the Middle East.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Ending Social Promotion Without Leaving Children Behind: The Case of New York City — Oct. 15, 2009

The New York City Department of Education's test-based promotion and retention policy, which identifies and provides support for struggling students, has demonstrated positive effects for student achievement in fifth grade that continue into seventh grade.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Related Report Related Report Congressional Briefing Education Research Area

Cincinnati Police Department Traffic Stops: Analyzing Racial Disparities — Oct. 12, 2009

RAND has developed a fair, yet rigorous approach to analyzing traffic stop data for racial bias. Based on five years of data from the Cincinnati Police Department, the approach addresses bias in the decision to stop, flags officers with disparate stop patterns, and assesses bias in search and citation rates.

Full Document Year One Evaluation Report Year Two Evaluation Report Year Three Evaluation Report Related Report Public Safety Research Area

Major Health Care Challenges Persist for D.C. Children Despite High Rates of Insurance Coverage — Oct. 8, 2009

Despite high rates of health insurance coverage among children in the District of Columbia, their access to health care is inadequate and poses a significant health problem—particularly for those who are publicly insured.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Health and Health Care Research Area

Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar — Oct. 8, 2009

Rather than threatening to punish offenders, the U.S. must focus its efforts on defending critical civilian and military computer networks from cyber attack.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

How Have Deployments During the War on Terrorism Affected Reenlistment? — Oct. 7, 2009

Since 2006, the mounting burden of U.S. Army deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan has had a negative effect on reenlistment.

Full Document News Release Research Brief National Security Research Area

Los Angeles Fast-Food Restaurant Ban Unlikely to Have Impact on Obesity — Oct. 6, 2009

Restrictions on fast-food chain restaurants in South Los Angeles are not addressing the main differences between neighborhood food environments and are unlikely to improve the diet of residents or reduce obesity.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Electronic Health Records Linked to Improved Quality in Primary Care Practices — Oct. 5, 2009

Routine use of electronic health records may improve the quality of care provided in community-based primary care practices more than other common strategies intended to raise the quality of medical care.

News Release Research Brief Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

The Reform of Qatar University — Oct. 5, 2009

In this summary of the efforts to reform Qatar University, the authors describe the motivation for reform, the design of the reform agenda, and the early stages of the implementation effort, with an eye toward identifying the challenges that remain.

Full Document Research Brief: English Version Research Brief: Arabic Version Education Research Area

Living Conditions in Anbar Province in June 2008 — Sep. 30, 2009

Effective counterinsurgency is dependent on understanding the local population. A survey of those living in Iraq's Anbar Province (once one of the country's most violent areas), reveals both the many improvements that have occurred, as well as the extent to which these Iraqis have suffered from the effects of war.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Strategies Outlined to Test New Payment Models for Health Care — Sep. 29, 2009

A new study outlines methods that might be used to test a novel payment system for medical care that would provide doctors, hospitals and other health providers a set fee for treating an ailment such as hip replacement surgery.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Integrating Civilian Agencies in Stability Operations — Sep. 25, 2009

RAND Arroyo Center examined the question of how the Army can help make key civilian agencies more capable partners in stability, security, transition, and reconstruction operations. Even without much action at the national level, the Army can still improve civilian participation in these activities.

Full Document National Security Research Area

More Support Is Needed to Integrate Nongovernmental Agencies in Human Recovery from Disasters — Sep. 23, 2009

Changing emergency planning rules to make nongovernmental organizations a key component of recovery efforts could get them involved earlier and speed the full recovery of communities after disaster strikes.

Full Document News Release Public Safety Research Area

Barriers to the Broad Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World — Sep. 22, 2009

Many analysts have examined the media that violent extremists use to communicate their core messages. Far less research, however, has been devoted to the growing body of creative works produced by Arab authors and artists that counter the intellectual and ideological underpinnings of violent extremism.

Full Document The Arts Research Area

Improving the Energy Performance of Buildings: Learning from the European Union and Australia — Sep. 21, 2009

The United States can become more energy efficient and create more "green" jobs by adopting some of the strategies used by the European Union and Australia to rate and disclose the performance of commercial and government-owned buildings.

Full Document News Release Energy and Environment Research Area

Lowering Salt Consumption Could Save U.S. Billions in Health Costs — Sep. 11, 2009

Reducing Americans' average intake of sodium to the amount recommended by health officials could save the nation as much as $18 billion annually in avoided health care costs and improve the quality of life for millions of people.

News Release Research Brief Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Recruiting Minorities: What Explains Recent Trends in the Army and Navy? — Sep. 8, 2009

To address a decline in high-quality black enlistments in the U.S. Army and other minority trends across other service branches, the military may want to look at how it allocates its resources to such recruiting tools as bonuses, educational benefits and recruiters.

Full Document Research Brief National Security Research Area

Countering Piracy in the Modern Era — Sep. 3, 2009

RAND recently convened a group of experts from the U.S. government, allied partner nations, the maritime industry, and academic organizations to reconsider the underlying factors that drive maritime piracy in this century. This conference proceedings highlights the six major themes that animated much of the discussion.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Retail Medical Clinics Can Provide Care at Lower Cost, Similar Quality As Other Medical Settings — Aug. 31, 2009

Clinics located in pharmacies and other stores can treat routine illnesses at a lower cost and similar quality as offered in physician offices, urgent care centers, or emergency departments. Furthermore, about one-third of urban Americans live within a 10-minute drive of retail medical clinics.

News Release Abstract Abstract www.randcompare.org Health and Health Care Research Area

China's International Behavior: Activism, Opportunism, and Diversification — Aug. 27, 2009

China is a global actor of significant and growing importance, now integrated into the international system and altering that system's dynamics. The complexity of China's ever-changing global activism raises questions about its intentions and the implications for global stability and prosperity.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Corporations and Counterinsurgency — Aug. 25, 2009

Large multinational corporations (MNCs) can play significant roles in zones of violent conflict, including in counterinsurgency. While the activities of MNCs aimed at shaping their violent environments may only be intended to protect their infrastructure and personnel, they can have less-than-benign consequences.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Certain Health Reform Policy Options Would Significantly Reduce Number of Uninsured Americans — Aug. 24, 2009

A mandate requiring individuals to obtain health insurance — an option in various current legislative proposals — would increase the number of Americans with coverage by 9 million to 34 million, while a mandate requiring employers to offer insurance would boost the figure by 1.8 million to 3.4 million.

News Release RAND COMPARE Health and Health Care Research Area

Medicare Prescription Benefit Program Has Exceeded Expectations — Aug. 24, 2009

The program created to provide Medicare recipients with prescription drug benefits exceeded expectations during its first two years, extending pharmacy coverage to most seniors while reducing their overall spending on drugs.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Shaping Tomorrow Today: Near-Term Steps Towards Long-Term Goals — Aug. 13, 2009

The RAND Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition recently hosted a workshop that gave analysts and policymakers from many countries a collaborative opportunity to explore new methods and tools that can help improve long-term decisionmaking.

Full Document RAND Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition International Affairs Research Area

Understanding Why Terrorist Operations Succeed or Fail — Aug. 11, 2009

Being able to understand why terrorist attacks have failed and to predict the likelihood of which will succeed is important for homeland security and counterterrorism planning. Literature on the topic suggests that the threat of any terrorist operation can best be evaluated by examining three key sets of characteristics.

Full Document Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Options for Controlling Health Care Spending in Massachusetts Are Examined — Aug. 7, 2009

The MA Department of Health and Human Services commissioned RAND to outline measures the state could pursue to help curb the cost of health care. The RAND Health research team evaluated 21 options across five broad approaches to find the most promising opportunities for controlling health care costs.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Health and Health Care Research Area

Public Health Preparedness and Response to Chemical and Radiological Incidents — Aug. 6, 2009

One under-examined area of public health emergency preparedness concerns incidents involving the release of chemical or radiological substances, which can have serious public health consequences. This report focuses on the roles of the public health service in emergency preparedness and its response to such incidents.

Full Document Public Safety Research Area

A Question of Balance: Political Context and Military Aspects of the China-Taiwan Dispute — Aug. 5, 2009

While relations between China and Taiwan are warmer now than in recent years, China still feels entitled to use force to prevent Taiwan from becoming independent. Meanwhile, the modernizing of China's military may call into question the U.S.' ability to defend Taiwan against a large-scale Chinese attack.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

U.S. Handling of Mujahedin-E-Khalq Since U.S. Invasion of Iraq Is Examined — Aug. 4, 2009

During the Iraq war, Coalition forces first classified the MeK, an Iranian militant group advocating the overthrow of their government, as enemy combatants operating in Iraq. Following a ceasefire agreement, the U.S. controversially switched their status to civilian. This decision and what should now be done with MeK members is reviewed.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

U.S.-U.K. Conference on Behavioral Finance and Public Policy: RAND Behavioral Finance Forum — Jul. 31, 2009

The RAND Behavioral Finance Forum, an organization dedicated to helping consumers make better financial decisions, held a conference on May 1, 2009, to discuss new policy options in consumer finance with staff and members of Congress and other policymakers, and with representatives of academe and the financial industry.

Full Document Population and Aging Research Area

World Economic Recession Unlikely to Have Lasting Geopolitical Consequences — Jul. 30, 2009

Will the current global economic recession have long-term geopolitical implications? Assuming that economic recovery begins in the first half of 2010, lasting structural alterations in the international system — a substantial change in U.S.-China relations, for example — are unlikely. This is because economic performance is only one of many geopolitical elements that shape countries' strategic intent and core external policies.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Timeline to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Iraq Is Feasible, but Combat Forces Are Needed for Elections — Jul. 28, 2009

The U.S. military can meet President Obama's timeline - one of three alternatives that are compared - for the drawdown of troops from Iraq, but sufficient combat force must remain to ensure a peaceful January 2010 election. Slower drawdowns are recommended for the regions most at risk of post-withdrawal conflict.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

Rapid Growth in Health Care Costs Hurts Economic Performance of U.S. Industries — Jul. 23, 2009

The rapid growth in U.S. health care costs is now clearly linked with poorer economic performance. Researchers examined 38 industries from 1987 through 2005 and found industries with a larger percentage of workers receiving employer-sponsored health insurance had higher job losses and lower output.

News Release Research Brief Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

The Phoenix Program and Contemporary Counterinsurgency — Jul. 22, 2009

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have re-focused attention on past U.S. counterinsurgency operations like the Phoenix Program, aimed at dismantling the Viet Cong underground during the Vietnam War. This study helps balance claims about the program's effectiveness against charges of its brutality and its political costs.

Full Document National Security Research Area

In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan — Jul. 14, 2009

Longtime Afghanistan expert Seth G. Jones harnesses important new historical research, thousands of declassified government documents, and interviews with prominent figures to reveal how the siphoning of resources to Iraq left Afghanistan vulnerable to a "war of a thousand cuts." He argues for a radically new approach.

Full Document Order this book from W. W. Norton & Company New York Times Book Review National Security Research Area

Health Departments Get Mixed Marks for Using Web to Communicate About Flu Crisis — Jul. 7, 2009

State and local health departments get mixed marks for efforts to convey information about the H1N1 virus to the public using their Web sites immediately after U.S. officials declared a public health emergency in April.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

The Reliability of Provider Profiling: A Tutorial — Jul. 3, 2009

Although hospitals and managed care facilities have used performance measurement for some time, the focus on doctor profiling by purchasers and health plans is relatively new, bringing to the fore the limitations of available physician data and proving the need for reliability measures in physician profiling.

Full Document Health and Health Care Research Area

Police Recruitment and Retention in the Contemporary Urban Environment — Jul. 1, 2009

Recruitment and retention of urban police officers is a growing challenge in a time of increasing demand and decreasing resources. In June 2008, RAND convened a national summit at which speakers discussed police workforce issues, current strategies, best practices, and case studies of police agencies in selected cities.

Full Document Public Safety Research Area

The SSET Program: Support for Students Exposed to Trauma — Jun. 25, 2009

Exposure to community and interpersonal violence is a public health crisis affecting many children in the U.S., causing mental health and behavioral problems, substance abuse, and poor school performance. The SSET program is a series of ten lessons that aims to reduce distress resulting from exposure to trauma.

Full Document Research Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)

Intelligence for an Age of Terror: New Book Examines Implications of Terrorism for U.S. Intelligence — Jun. 23, 2009

Because terrorism is not confined to national boundaries, it puts pressure on the U.S. both at home and abroad, forcing intelligence and law enforcement—the CIA and the FBI—to work together in new ways. This requires new means of sharing not just information but also analysis across the federal system.

Full Document Order this book from Cambridge University Press Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Reconstruction Under Fire: Unifying Civil and Military Counterinsurgency — Jun. 17, 2009

Effective civilian reconstruction work can help convince people to support their government against insurgency, Therefore, insurgents typically target such work, thereby threatening the civilian population. This too often results in a postponement of reconstruction efforts and/or excessive reliance on force to defeat insurgents.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Strategies and Models for Promoting Adolescent Vaccination for Low-Income Populations — Jun. 15, 2009

Since 2005, three new vaccines for teenagers have been licensed in the U.S. Although the majority of 13-17-year-olds have received recommended vaccines, rates remain below 2010 targets, and the coverage rates for low-income adolescents and minority youth are likely to be lower.

Full Document Health and Health Care Research Area

California Parolees Have a High Need for Health Services, but Accessing Services Is a Challenge — Jun. 11, 2009

Inmates released from California prisons have a high need for drug treatment, health care and mental health services, but they face barriers to accessing such aid because many return to communities where health care services are severely strained.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Public Safety Research Area

U.S. Freight System Modernization Necessary to Reduce Bottlenecks, Improve Security — Jun. 9, 2009

The long-term efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. freight transportation system is threatened by bottlenecks, inefficient use of some parts of the infrastructure components, vulnerability to disruptions, and crucial environmental and energy concerns.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Substance Use Is Not the Primary Cause of Workplace Injuries, but Is a Contributing Factor — Jun. 8, 2009

Occupational injuries are a serious public-health issue and cause significant morbidity and mortality in the United States, with direct and indirect costs extending beyond injured workers to their families, other workers, firms, and consumers. This paper explores the link between substance use and work-related accidents.

Full Document Workforce and Workplace Research Area

U.S. Households Are Coping with the Economic Downturn by Helping Each Other Financially — Jun. 5, 2009

One way that U.S. households are coping with the global economic downturn is by reaching out to each other via financial help, according to recent survey results, which also reveal that many more households are giving financial help than receiving it and that help most frequently flows from parents to children.

Full Document Population and Aging Research Area

Assessment Framework Can Help Security Planners Decide Which Hypothetical Threats To Worry About — Jun. 3, 2009

Concerns about the panpoply of possible terrorist attacks are central to the design of security efforts to protect both individual targets and the nation overall. Two questions can be posed to assess the novelty and ease of execution of emerging threats, allowing security planners to both learn from new threats and prioritize.

Full Document Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

The Long March: Building an Afghan National Army — Jun. 2, 2009

The Afghan National Army (ANA) is critical to the success of achieving a stable Afghanistan. This monograph assesses the ANA's progress and finds that though it has come a long way since the outset of the recent conflict in the country, the United States will play a crucial role in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Charging Drivers More at Peak Travel Times Can Be Sound Transportation Policy, But Equity Issues Must Be Addressed — Jun. 1, 2009

Policymakers need to address equity concerns early when implementing congestion pricing to improve traffic flow, as each situation is unique. Because these policies impose a cost on something that previously was not priced, it can harm lower-income drivers who will be forced to pay additional costs or be "priced off" the roads.

Full Document News Release Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Southeast Asian Terrorist Groups Continue To Pose a Serious, but Manageable, Threat — May 29, 2009

Terrorism has been a destabilizing force in Southeast Asia since the Cold War and has since risen in reaction to government modernization and the influence of radical Islam. This study examines the extremist groups that have resorted to terrorist violence in the Philippines, southern Thailand, and Indonesia, and government responses.

Full Document Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

California Preschool Study Finds Ways To Improve the State's Childhood Education System Despite Scarce Resources — May 28, 2009

In an era of fiscal crisis, California can still improve access and quality in its early childhood education system through low-cost improvements, such as adopting efficiencies and better use of existing resources. Such measures will also allow the system to lay the foundation for greater improvements in the future when more resources are available.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Related Report Related Report Related Report Child Policy Research Area

EC Report Examines the World's Illicit Drugs Problem, Ten Years On — May 27, 2009

A RAND Europe study on how the global market for illicit drugs developed from 1998 to 2007, as well as the impact of worldwide policy measures on the illicit drugs problem, finds that while the situation may have improved slightly in some of the world's richer countries, it has substantially worsened in others.

Full Document Report 1 Report 2 Report 3 Report 5 Substance Abuse Research Area

Social Science Approach to Counterterrorism Addresses Why Terrorism Arises and Declines — May 26, 2009

This report from an interdisciplinary project to survey and integrate the scholarly social-science literature relevant to counterterrorism answers questions related to why some individuals become terrorists, how terrorists generate public support, how terrorist organizations make decisions, and why individuals disengage.

Full Document Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Limiting Work Hours for Medical Residents Could Cost Hospitals $1.6 Billion Annually — May 20, 2009

New recommendations to limit the fatigue and workload of medical residents could cost the nation's teaching hospitals about $1.6 billion annually. These measures' effectiveness at preventing medical errors and patient harm is unknown and would not mitigate their high net costs to the hosptials.

News Release Read More Health and Health Care Research Area

Dangerous But Not Omnipotent: Exploring the Reach and Limitations of Iranian Power in the Middle East — May 19, 2009

Iran's rise as a regional power presents a key foreign policy and security challenge to the United States, but its reach may be more limited than Western conventional wisdom suggests. U.S. strategy should work to exploit existing barriers to Iran's harmful activities, while simultaneously seeking areas of engagement.

Full Document News Release Research Brief National Security Research Area

Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority and How It Failed to Secure Iraq — May 11, 2009

The American engagement in Iraq has been looked at from many perspectives, from planning to invasion and the long ensuing occupation. The activities of the Coalition Provisional Authority and its administrator, L. Paul Bremer, are recounted in this study through interviews with policymakers, former officials' memoirs, journalists' accounts, and the nearly 100,000 never-before-released CPA documents.

Full Document News Release International Affairs Research Area

Economic Costs of Major Oil Supply Disruption Pose Risk to U.S. National Security — May 11, 2009

While on a net basis the United States imports nearly 60 percent of the oil it consumes, this reliance on imported oil is not by itself a major national security threat. The study finds that the economic costs of a major disruption in global oil supplies—including higher prices for American consumers—pose the greatest risk to the United States.

Full Document News Release Research Brief National Security Research Area

Helping the Los Angeles Police Department Recruit Efficiently — May 5, 2009

To help the Los Angeles Police Department achieve its recruiting and diversity goals, RAND researchers offered ways to improve productivity and efficiency in the recruiting process. They identified potential untapped recruiting markets, provided a model of viable candidates to target recruitment and prioritize applicants while still reaching diversity hiring goals, and recommended ways to improve background-investigation processes.

Full Document Research Brief Public Safety Research Area

Justification and Options for Creating A U.S. Stability Police Force — May 4, 2009

Establishing security is the sine qua non of stability operations, since it is a prerequisite for reconstruction and development. Security requires a mix of military and police forces to deal with a range of threats from insurgents to criminal organizations. This research examines the creation of a high-end police force, which the authors call a Stability Police Force.

Full Document Research Brief National Security Research Area

Transportation Challenges for the New Administration: Perspectives of Past Transportation Secretaries — May 1, 2009

Shortly after the inauguration of President Barack Obama, RAND hosted a panel discussion with three former U.S. secretaries of transportation. These conference proceedings summarize their comments on which issues should be among the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) top priorities, DOT funding and appropriation, earmarking and transparency in the transportation funding process, and the federal role in transportation policy.

Full Document Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Drug Education Also Helps Curb Risky Sexual Behavior — Apr. 29, 2009

School-based drug education programs for adolescents can have a long-term positive impact on sexual behavior in addition to curbing substance abuse.

News Release Read More Project Alert Health and Health Care Research Area

What the Policy Community Should Know About Corporate Compliance, Ethics, and Misdeeds — Apr. 28, 2009

Improving corporate compliance, ethics, and oversight has been a significant policy goal for the U.S. government for decades, and made more salient by the collapse of financial markets in late 2008. On March 5, 2009, RAND convened a conference in Washington, D.C., on the role and perspectives of corporate chief ethics and compliance officers in the detection and prevention of corporate misdeeds.

Full Document Workforce and Workplace Research Area

Higher Co-Payments Discourage Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Illnesses from Starting Drug Treatment — Apr. 28, 2009

Patients newly diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol are significantly more likely to delay initiating recommended drug treatment if they face higher co-payments for medications.

News Release Read More Health and Health Care Research Area

U.S.-Mexico Strategic Partnership Needed to Help Mexico Improve Its Security Institutions — Apr. 28, 2009

The United States should forge a strategic partnership with Mexico that emphasizes reform and long-term institution building as a way to battle the ongoing drug war and other security challenges that face Mexico.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Public Safety Research Area

How the Air Force Can Understand and Mitigate Titanium Price Trends — Apr. 15, 2009

Titanium is a significant element in the construction of aircraft. However, in recent years a major spike in titanium prices is expected to significantly influence the acquisition costs of future aircraft. This monograph examines the titanium industrial base, production technology, and the factors underlying its market price fluctuations, with a focus on the role of supply-side drivers.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Enhancing Combat Operations Through Improved Air-Ground Integration — Apr. 14, 2009

Although airpower capabilities have improved dramatically in the past decade, the joint warfighting potential offered by these capabilities is not being fully realized, as illustrated during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The authors propose several alternatives and suggest a new joint warfighting concept designed to enhance the prioritization and synchronization of joint fires and maneuver.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria — Apr. 14, 2009

Devising policies to mitigate greenhouse gases responsible for climate change is one of the great challenges facing the U.S. Options that are effective and politically feasible must not just be cost-effective but also consider the realities of passing major federal legislation with widespread impacts on U.S. producers and consumers.

Full Document Energy and Environment Research Area

A Framework to Assess Programs for Building Security Partnerships Among Nations — Apr. 13, 2009

Security cooperation activities conducted by Department of Defense entities with other nations range from the very visible — training, equipping, and exercising together — to those that are less obvious. It is often challenging to measure the effectiveness of these activities. This study lays out an objective framework for security program assessment.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Five Key Education Priorities for the Obama Administration — Apr. 8, 2009

A set of five policy briefs address key education priorities for the Obama administration and the 111th Congress. Each brief summarizes the current research on the topic and the implications for federal policymakers.

Ways to Improve U.S. Stability and Reconstruction Missions Are Outlined — Apr. 3, 2009

Recent stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq have underlined the need for the United States to shift the burden of these operations away from the Defense Department and onto other government agencies better suited to the work.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

United States Should Tailor Its Russia Policy to Build on Shared Views and Interests — Apr. 1, 2009

The United States has an opportunity to improve relations with Russia and build on shared views and interests, rather than pursue coercive steps that may one day backfire. At the same time, the United States and its allies cannot give Russia a veto on key policy goals.

Full Document News Release International Affairs Research Area

An Economic Model and Software to Estimate the Profits Resulting from the Employment of Illegal Aliens — Mar. 30, 2009

Federal law provides for forfeiture of the proceeds from the employment of illegal aliens, but statutory law does not specify how to calculate that amount. This report presents tools that can help determine the appropriate penalty to be levied on firms that knowingly employ undocumented workers.

Full Document Workforce and Workplace Research Area

Understanding Forfeitures: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Law Enforcement Funding and High Asset Forfeiture — Mar. 27, 2009

The Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture (TEOAF) administers the forfeitures that result from the prosecution of criminal enterprises - such as drug cartels, terrorist organizations, and individual embezzlers - can be used to fund future investigations. TEOAF commissioned RAND to examine such funding and forfeiture outcomes.

Full Document Civil Justice Research Area

Federal Program Has Improved Health Agencies' Preparedness for Large-Scale Bioterror or Disease Outbreaks — Mar. 24, 2009

A federal program designed to help metropolitan public health agencies prepare to deliver essential medicines to the public after a large-scale bioterror attack or natural disease outbreak has succeeded in improving the level of readiness.

Full Document News Release Research Brief RAND Center for Public Health Preparedness Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Is It Time to Rethink U.S. Entry and Exit Processes? — Mar. 23, 2009

Meeting mandated standards for managing individual travelers' entry and exit at U.S. borders has been a longstanding difficulty for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. border protection apparatus. This paper examines related policies and procedures critical to their success.

Full Document Occasional Paper Occasional Paper Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

What Are the Effects of Charter Schools on Educational Attainment in Eight States? — Mar. 18, 2009

Along with the growth of the charter school movement has come contentious debate about its effects on both charter students and those in nearby traditional public schools. This study helps determine why previous research has drawn differing conclusions through its examination of charter schools' effect on overall educational attainment.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Related Report Policy Brief Education Research Area

Implications for U.S. of the Saudi-Iranian Struggle for Influence in the Middle East — Mar. 17, 2009

Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been rivals in the Middle East, but the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the ongoing war in Iraq have increased tensions between the two states. This study analyzes the Saudi-Iranian struggle for influence in Iraq, the Persian Gulf, Lebanon and Palestine and its implications for U.S. interests.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Developing Global Partnerships to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction — Mar. 16, 2009

This RAND National Defense Research Institute study outlines and then applies a four-step process for developing regional approaches to working with appropriate partner countries around the world in order to compensate for limited resources and knowledge in confronting weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats.

Full Document Research Brief International Affairs Research Area

Challenges and Opportunities Related to the Interconnection of Climate, Energy, and Transportation Policies — Mar. 9, 2009

In June 2008, RAND convened three workshops for private and public sector representatives to discuss their competing views on climate change mitigation. The conference allowed them to find commonality on such issues as technological innovation; potential legislative and regulatory solutions; international cooperation; and public engagement.

Full Document Research Brief Energy and Environment Research Area

Pay-For-Performance for Medical Groups Stimulates Changes in Practice — Mar. 10, 2009

A large group of California physicians given financial incentives to improve the quality of medical care have begun to embrace an array of changes important to advancing quality.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Organized Crime Is Increasingly Active in Film Piracy; Three Cases Link Terrorists to Piracy Profits — Mar. 3, 2009

Organized crime increasingly is involved in the piracy of feature films, with syndicates active along the entire supply chain from manufacture to street sales. While crime syndicates have added piracy to their criminal portfolios, the profits from film piracy also have been used on occasion to support the activities of terrorist groups.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Video: Film Piracy, Organized Crime, and Terrorism Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Innovation and the Future of e-Books — Feb. 27, 2009

The technological development and cultural acceptance of e-books today parallels the state, but the majority remain simply digitized versions of print books and offer no new tools. This paper examines three examples of innovative e-books in order to illustrate the potential and pitfalls of electronic publications.

Full Document Science and Technology Research Area The International Journal of the Book Web Site

Oversight of the Liberian National Police — Feb. 21, 2009

The Liberian National Police (LNP) will become the chief provider of security in Liberia as the United Nations Mission in Liberia is reduced. Given the LNP's capabilities and complexity, its past manipulation by former President Charles Taylor, and a pattern of police misconduct in much of Africa, the question of oversight is critical.

Full Document Public Safety Research Area

U.S. Army Guidebook on Using Economic Development to Support Stability Operations — Feb. 21, 2009

This guidebook instructs U.S. Army personnel on how to better use various economic assistance programs and projects to support economic and infrastructure development in the course of their operations. Suggestions efforts include the realms of humanitarian assistance, agriculture, natural resource management, and private sector activity.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Adjusting to Global Economic Change: The Dangerous Road Ahead — Feb. 17, 2009

This study of historical experience from an economics perspective explores various crises - from the Great Depression to the stagflation and recovery of the 1970s and 1980s to our current economic woes - and suggests the tools policymakers need to address what may be the worst case scenario.

Full Document Workforce and Workplace Research Area

How China Can Strengthen Its Economy by Investing in High-Technology Applications — Feb. 13, 2009

China's Tianjin Binhai New Area (TBNA) and Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) can best spur regional development and economic growth by focusing on emerging high-technology applications, including molecular-scale drug development and green manufacturing.

Full Document News Release: English Version News Release: Chinese Version (PDF)Full Report: Chinese Version Executive Summary The Global Technology Revolution 2020, In-Depth Analyses The Global Technology Revolution 2020, Executive Summary Science and Technology Research Area

Family Readiness and Coping During Deployments Key Issues for National Guard and Reserve — Feb. 11, 2009

As the U.S. military continues to rely on the National Guard and Reserve for overseas deployments, making sure their families are adequately prepared for those missions is critical.

Full Document News Release Research Brief National Security Research Area

Final Report on State and Local Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act Finds Parents Largely Unaware of Options — Feb. 10, 2009

A key aim of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is to provide school choice or supplemental educational services to predominantly low-income parents whose children are attending Title I schools identified for improvement, but in recent years only a small fraction of families have taken advantage of these options.

Full Document Research Brief Volume I Volume II Volume III Volume IV Volumes V & VI available on the U.S. DOE web site Policy Brief Education Research Area

Time is Ideal for United States, Europe to Establish New Security Partnership — Feb. 5, 2009

A new, dynamic transatlantic security partnership is crucial if the United States and Europe are to address the growing list of global security challenges that neither can manage separately.

Full Document News Release Congressional Panel National Security Research Area

Report Quantifies Level of Disadvantage Faced by Boys and Men of Color in California — Feb. 5, 2009

The first multi-dimensional effort to quantify the disparities faced by African-American and Latino boys and men in California across a broad spectrum of health and social factors provides a disquieting outlook for their lives.

Full Document News Release Executive Summary Research Brief Child Policy Research Area

Methamphetamine Use Estimated to Cost the U.S. About $23 Billion in 2005 — Feb. 4, 2009

The economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States reached $23.4 billion in 2005, including the burden of addiction, premature death, drug treatment and many other aspects of the drug.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Substance Abuse Research Area

United States, East Africa Allies Must Overcome Radical Islam to Reshape the Region' Security — Feb. 4, 2009

While al Qaeda is the primary terrorist/extremist threat in East Africa, the region suffers more broadly from a danger of radical Islamist groups and organizations that the United States and its allies must address to reshape the region's security environment.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

The Challenge of Domestic Intelligence in a Free Society — Feb. 2, 2009

Whether U.S. terrorism-prevention efforts match the threat continues to be central in policy debate. Part of this debate is whether the United States needs a dedicated domestic counterterrorism intelligence agency. To inform future policy decisionmaking, this book examines, from a variety of perspectives, the policy proposal that such an agency be created.

Full Document Related Report Related Report Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Afghanistan's Growing Security Challenge — Jan. 27, 2009

This essay from a collection, which examines the security situation in Afghanistan through the largest public opionon survey ever conducted in Afghanistan, asks three questions. What are Afghan perceptions of the security environment? How do these perceptions vary across the country? How do Afghans feel about their security institutions?

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Police-Community Relations in Cincinnati: Year Four Evaluation Report — Jan. 23, 2009

In 2002, the Cincinnati Police Department and the ACLU joined together to review police-community relations. This report finds that CPD is not the same as the department that policed Cincinnati in 2001. With crime reduced and no evidence of racial bias at traffic stops, there is still room for improvement with community relations.

Full Document Year One Evaluation Report Year Two Evaluation Report Year Three Evaluation Report Related Report Public Safety Research Area

Domestic Trends in the United States, China, and Iran: Implications for U.S. Security Planning — Jan. 22, 2009

The U.S. Navy faces uncertainty about the need to prepare for a high-end future conflict against a powerful, well-armed opponent versus the so-called Long War against rogue nations and terrorist organizations. The answer depends to a large extent on the evolution of U.S. relations with China and Iran and the future of the United States itself.

Full Document National Security Research Area

The Effect of Regulation on Pharmaceutical Revenues in Nineteen Countries — Jan. 20, 2009

As developed countries have trended towards increased regulation of pharmaceuticals, manufacturer revenues have fallen - the size of the impact correlating with the degree of the change in regulation. This could mean a pharmaceutical revenue reduction by as much as 20.3 percent for a largely unregulated market like the U.S.

Full Document Related Reprint Research Brief Health Affairs web site Health and Health Care Research Area

Unfolding the Future of the Long War: Implications for the U.S. Military — Jan. 19, 2009

While policymakers, military leaders, and scholars have offered numerous definitions of the "long war" - an epic struggle against adversaries bent on forming a unified Islamic world to supplant western dominance; an extension of the war on terror - no consensus has been reached about this term or its implications for the United States.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Mumbai Terrorist Attacks Show Rise of Strategic Terrorist Culture — Jan. 16, 2009

The Mumbai terrorist attacks in India suggest the possibility of an escalating terrorist campaign in South Asia and the rise of a strategic terrorist culture. This report identifies the operational and tactical features of the attack, evaluates the response of Indian security forces, and analyzes the implications for the region and the U.S.

Full Document News Release Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Should Explore Other Funding Sources, Right-Size Programs — Jan. 15, 2009

Facing serious funding challenges, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh needs to explore new ways to secure adequate and stable funding, engage patrons and other stakeholders, and evaluate what services it offers.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Education Research Area

Reasons Why Hispanics Remain Underrepresented in Military, Despite Interest — Jan. 13, 2009

Lower high school graduation rates and higher rates of obesity are two of the reasons that many Hispanics are denied entry into the U.S. military. Although Hispanics do well once in the military, they are underrepresented in all branches of the nation's armed forces, primarily because they often fail to meet eligibility requirements.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

How the U.S. Government Can Strategically Reach Policy Goals, Using the Example of Counterterrorism — Jan. 12, 2009

While the United States government has historically undertaken strategic reviews and produced numerous strategy documents, these have provided only very general directions for U.S. policymakers. This paper defines an approach to strategic planning and illustrates its application using the example of the critical national security topic of counterterrorism.

Full Document Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Guidelines and Recommendations for Opening Dialogue with Iran — Jan. 8, 2009

While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad grabs the headlines, it is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who is Iran's most powerful figure. And... it is Khamenei's sense of strategic confidence, distrust of the United States and his focus on Iranian sovereignty that are the sources behind Tehran's aversion to compromise.

Full Document News Release International Affairs Research Area

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Plays Complex Role in Iran's Political, Economic, Cultural Scene — Jan. 8, 2009

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has evolved to take on a greater role in the nation's political, economic and cultural arenas in addition to serving as a major military force.

Full Document News Release International Affairs Research Area Book Review

Teen Drinking in Low-Income Neighborhoods is Related to High Concentrations of Alcohol Stores — Dec. 30, 2009

Alcohol availability is significantly higher around residences of minority and lower-income families and is associated with high rates of binge drinking and drunk driving among teenagers who live within a half mile from where alcohol can be purchased.

Abstract Substance Abuse Research Area

PREPARE for Pandemic Influenza: A Toolkit to Improve Public Health Preparedness — Dec. 22, 2008

Mounting an effective emergency response to a public health threat, such as a pandemic influenza, is a common challenge of state and local public health agencies across the country. The PREPARE toolkit provides a brief tutorial on using quality improvement methods to build agency capabilities and public health emergency preparedness.

Full Document Webinar: Quality Improvement Strategies for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Health and Health Care Research Area

Enhancement by Enlargement: The Proliferation Security Initiative — Dec. 21, 2008

The Proliferation Security Initiative consists of 91 countries seeking to limit the spread of weapons of mass destruction between states or non-state actors that would thereby pose a serious threat to global or regional security. This report assesses the perspectives of the five "hold-out" nations and how to possibly gain their affiliation.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Better Efforts Needed to Track, Prevent Career-Ending Injuries Among Public Safety Workers — Dec. 18, 2008

Non-fatal injuries to police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other public safety workers are common, but little is done to track these incidents in order to improve prevention efforts.

Full Document News Release Public Safety Research Area

Thinking About America's Defense: An Analytical Memoir — Dec. 15, 2008

Lieutenant General Glenn A. Kent, a uniquely acute analyst and developer of American defense policy in the second half of the twentieth century, summarizes the dozens of national security issues in which he was personally engaged in his 33-year career in the Air Force and his more than 20 years as one of the leading analysts at RAND.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Balancing Prevention and Mitigation Approaches to an Uncertain Terrorist Threat — Dec. 12, 2008

While traditional terrorism-prevention measures seek to prevent all damage by stopping attacks completely, the author recommends also adopting measures that seek to prevent only some of the damage from attacks, but that do so predictably across the many different ways in which they might occur, drawing examples from aviation security policy.

Full Document Research Brief Occasional Paper Occasional Paper Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

A Call to Revitalize the Engines of Government by Limiting Private Contractors — Dec. 11, 2008

Since the 1970s, federal officials have faced increasing pressure to reduce the size of the federal government and to privatize services traditionally provided by government, a trend that increased under George W. Bush and has harmed government's ability to carry out the nations' business.

Full Document Workforce and Workplace Research Area

Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Production Could Offer Major National Benefits — Dec. 10, 2008

The federal government can spark the creation of a commercially competitive coal-to-liquids industry by fostering early development of plants that would produce transportation fuels from coal, as well as by expanding its investment in carbon sequestration technology to help limit, and possibly reduce, greenhouse gas emissions levels.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Related Report Energy and Environment Research Area

Mandatory Workplace Safety and Health Programs: Implementation, Effectiveness, and Benefit-Cost Trade-Offs — Dec. 5, 2008

In 1998, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began efforts to reuire all workplaces to establish a safety and health program to reduce the risk of occupational injuries and illnesses. By 1999, it had stopped pursuing these federal standards, partly due to intense criticism of their value. This report assesses the standard, concluding with recommendations should authorities revisit the initiative.

Full Document Public Safety Research Area

A History of Chinese Corporate Governance Sheds Light on Economic Growth and Reform — Dec. 3, 2008

As China has moved toward a stronger role for private enterprise and capitalism it has also sought to adopt more Western-style oversight mechanisms and legal standards for corporate governance - a history of which is found here with an examination of attendant problems and their policy implications.

Full Document Civil Justice Research Area Research Brief

The Problem of Measuring Emergency Preparedness: How Reliable Should Our Response Systems Be? — Dec. 1, 2008

Decisionmakers today largely assess emergency preparedness and homeland security "in the rear view mirror," looking at performance in actual events and responding to perceived failures. While real-world experience is important, better ways to assess preparedness prospectively will lead to better choices as to how and where to strengthen it.

Full Document Research Brief Occasional Paper Occasional Paper Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Explaining the Increase in Unemployment Compensation for Veterans During the Global War on Terror — Nov. 26, 2008

The Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX) program provides income assistance to unemployed veterans as they search for work, a number that increased by about 75 percent between 2002 and 2004, raising concerns that veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are having difficulty finding civilian jobs.

Full Document National Security Research Area

History of Egyptian Grassroots Political Reform Movement Provides Insight Into Reform Efforts — Nov. 25, 2008

The Kefaya Movement, an indigenous effort for political reform organized in Egypt, provides policymakers with an example of the challenges grassroots organizations in the Arab world face as they try to implement democracy and political reform. In late 2004, Kefaya was able to mobilize wide segments of Egyptian society.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Pennsylvania's Rail System Will Require Collaborative Approach to Improve Safety and Security — Nov. 24, 2008

Pennsylvania leaders have an active role to play in coordinating public and private efforts to improve the safety and security of Pennsylvania's extensive and complex railroad system.

Full Document News Release Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Weight Loss Surgery May Help Obese Women Avoid Pregnancy-Related Health Complications — Nov. 18, 2008

Obese women who have weight loss surgery before becoming pregnant have a lower risk of pregnancy-related health problems and their children are less likely to be born with complications.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Trends and Future Prospects for the Arts Predict Changing Role for State Agencies — Nov. 18, 2008

State arts agencies — key players within the U.S. system of public support for the arts — face a wide varitey of challenges to their typical roles as grantmakers. The author concludes that future state arts policy is likely to focus more on efforts to develop the creative economy and to grow the audience for the arts.

Full Document Research Brief The Arts Research Area

While China's Regional Influence Grows, U.S. Remains Key Security and Economic Partner in East Asia — Nov. 17, 2008

China is not eroding the foundations of U.S. alliances in East Asia and the United States remains the security partner of choice in the region. But consistent U.S. efforts are needed to ensure that the nation retains its influence.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

For 10th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, Retirement Revisions Recommended — Nov. 13, 2008

As military compensation is a fundamental tool for recruiting and retaining an all-volunteer force, it is reviewed every four years to make sure it can meet the U.S. military's objectives. This research examines the value and effectiveness of the current retirement system and possible alternatives, drawing on military personnel career data.

Full Document National Security Research Area

U.S. Department of Defense Faces Obstacles in Meeting Small-Business Contract Goals — Nov. 12, 2008

Many of the goods and services purchased by the U.S. Department of Defense are from industries that are often better suited to larger companies rather than smaller ones, complicating efforts to meet goals that about one-fourth of prime-contract dollars be awarded to small businesses.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

Benefit-Cost Analysis Rarely Captures the Full Economic Value of Social Programs — Nov. 12, 2008

This study assesses the state of the art in determining the economic value of social programs for use in benefit-cost analysis (BCA). It finds that rarely are the benefits of social programs consistently or accurately monetized and suggests ways to advance the use of BCA in evaluating social programs' economic returns.

Full Document Child Policy Research Area

In the Middle of the Fight: An Assessment of Medium-Armored Forces in Past Military Operations — Nov. 11, 2008

This monograph presents a qualitative assessment of the performance of medium-armored forces in 13 past conflicts that span the range of military operations. The accompanying analysis is designed to help inform U.S. Army decisions about fielding medium-armored forces in the future. The case histories yielded three major insights.

Full Document National Security Research Area

No Child Left Behind School Improvement Efforts Should Be Customized to Locale — Nov. 10, 2008

This update to a 2007 study on provides an additional year of data on the strategies states, districts, and schools are using to implement standards-based accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and how these strategies are associated with classroom practices and student achievement in mathematics and science.

Full Document Research Brief Related Report Supplemental Analyses of ISBA Survey Responses Policy Brief Education Research Area

Gauging the Accuracy, Validity of the Veterans' Health Care System Forecasting Tools — Nov. 5, 2008

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) relies on the Enrollee Health Care Projection Model (EHCPM) to project the amount and cost of veterans' use of VA health care services. This study evaluates the EHCPM and assesses the risks and benefits posed by the VA's reliance on the model for budgeting and planning.

Full Document Research Brief Health and Health Care Research Area

Link Found Between Teens Viewing Sexual Content on Television and Subsequent Pregnancy — Nov. 3, 2008

Adolescents who have high levels of exposure to television programs that contain sexual content are twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy over the following three years as their peers who watch few such shows.

News Release Research Brief Abstract View the Video Special Feature on Adolescent Sexual Behavior Health and Health Care Research Area

Western Riverside County Habitat Conservation Plan Progressing, but Needs Fine-Tuning — Nov. 3, 2008

Western Riverside County's Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan -- a sweeping effort to protect endangered and threatened species while accelerating the approval of transportation improvements -- has made significant progress, but needs modifying to reach its goals in Southern California's changing economy.

Full Document News Release Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Four Countries in the Middle East Face the Human Capital Challenges of the 21st Century — Oct. 31, 2008

Education and labor market initiatives are under way in four Arab nations -- Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates -- to address the challenges of developing the human capital of their populations for the 21st century global economy, though better evaluation of the implemented reforms will be needed to determine their efficacy.

Full Document Executive Summary Research Brief: English Version Research Brief: Arabic Version Workforce and Workplace Research Area

Lessons from Six Decades of Research on Deterrence, From Cold War to Long War — Oct. 30, 2008

The United States' 2006 reversal of its 2002 proclamation that deterrence was irrelevant to most future national security strategies is bolstered by research which shows that deterrence will likely play an ongoing role in U.S. efforts to manage a variety of threats, including both near-peer competitors and terrorist organizations.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Easing Restrictions on Deliveries to Postal Mailboxes Could Hurt Efforts to Keep Mail Safe — Oct. 23, 2008

Allowing private courier services to deliver items into mailboxes could hamper efforts by the U.S. Postal Service to safeguard the nation's mail. Although the impact of such a change is likely to be moderate, it could diminish public safety and security by diluting the effectiveness of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Public Safety Research Area

Should the United States Establish a Dedicated Domestic Intelligence Agency for Counterterrorism? — Oct. 22, 2008

In the wake of 9/11, Congress directed the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate whether the U.S. needs a dedicated domestic intelligence agency, separate from law enforcement, to deter terrorism. DHS asked RAND not to offer specific recommendations, but to make clear what should be considered in the creation of such an agency.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Related Report Related Report

Creating Unique Health ID Numbers Would Facilitate Improved Health Care Quality and Efficiency — Oct. 20, 2008

Creating a unique patient identification number for every person in the United States would facilitate a reduction in medical errors, simplify the use of electronic medical records, increase overall efficiency and help protect patient privacy.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Health and Health Care Research Area

New Book Provides Unique View Into Mind of Fanatical Jihadists — Oct. 15, 2008

David Aaron, a veteran U.S. diplomat and director of the RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy, has compiled a wide range of writings by Islamic terrorists that offer an unusual window into their mentality. The book, "In Their Own Words: Voices of Jihad," is a virtual encyclopedia of jihadist rhetoric written by the terrorists themselves.

Full Document News Release Voices of Jihad Database Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area Book Review

Recommended Infrastructure Standards for Mass Antibiotic Dispensing — Oct. 10, 2008

In order to ensure that the U.S. government is able to dispense antibiotics and other life-saving medical countermeasures to large populations under short timelines in the case of a large-scale public health emergency, this report recommends standards for points of dispensing that are designed to apply to widely divergent jurisdictions.

Full Document Research Brief Public Safety Research Area

Quarterly Report on Los Angeles County Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Rates Home-Based Programs — Oct. 10, 2008

A detailed review of five Los Angeles home-based programs determines how their current practices compare with the literature on best practices in corrections, and assigns scores to each for their ability to deliver quality interventions and services for offenders.

Full Document Superseding Document

Alternative Fossil Fuels Have Economic Potential but Uncertain Environmental Consequences — Oct. 8, 2008

Alternative sources of fossil fuels such as oil sands and coal-to-liquids have significant economic promise, but the environmental consequences must also be considered.

Full Document News Release Energy and Environment Research Area Research Brief

Changes Needed in Way the United States Conducts Military Interventions — Oct. 2, 2008

In preparing for possible future military interventions, the United States needs to shift substantial resources to the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development, and military-civilian efforts must be integrated from top to bottom.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

Thirteen Short-Term Strategies Address Traffic Congestion in Urban Los Angeles — Oct. 2, 2008

A comprehensive look at Los Angeles traffic debunks common myths about the metropolitan region's traffic patterns and details the reasons why congestion is so bad — and why it will get worse in the coming years without significant policy changes.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

The Role of Public and Private Litigation in the Enforcement of Securities Laws in the United States — Oct. 1, 2008

This dissertation analyzes the combination of federal and investors' class actions to enforce federal securities laws, as well as how the Sarbanes-Oxley Act disrupts joint public and private litigation to discipline self regulatory organizations like the national stock exchanges, and the effects of these attempted reforms on the market.

Full Document PRGS Dissertations Civil Justice Research Area

Military Child Care System Should Reassess Delivery of Services to Better Meet Goals — Sep. 29, 2008

The U.S. military should reassess its child care system to look for ways to make it better fit the needs of military families and more effectively meet recruitment, readiness and retention goals.

Full Document News Release Research Brief National Security Research Area

Strategies Suggested to Address San Diego Police Officer Recruiting Shortage — Sep. 24, 2008

The San Diego Police Department can help reduce an officer recruiting shortfall by making its recruiting materials more welcoming and leveraging its entire workforce to recruit new officers.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Public Safety Research Area

Political Reform in the Arab World is a Mixed Bag in Confronting Terrorism — Sep. 24, 2008

Democratic political reforms can marginalize extremists and undermine support for political violence, but cosmetic reforms and backtracking on democratization can exacerbate the risk of terrorism.

Full Document News Release International Affairs Research Area

Army Can Boost Mission Success by Better Managing Environmental Considerations — Sep. 23, 2008

By better managing environmental issues during deployments, U.S. Army units can gain tactical and strategic advantages that will help in combat and post-conflict operations, and boost overall mission success.

Full Document News Release Research Brief National Security Research Area Book Review

Analysis of Strategy and Strategies of Analysis in Weighing National Defense Alternatives — Sep. 22, 2008

The likely costs and implications of alternative national defense strategies should be assessed through disciplined analyses that examine whether the primary agents of the strategy, U.S. combatant commands, have the ability to meet the strategy's expectations, rather than by merely allowing external events, time constraints, or politics to direct the strategy and inflate its costs.

Full Document Related Report Research Brief National Security Research Area

Meeting America's Security Challenges Beyond Iraq — Sep. 18, 2008

In a conference cohosted by RAND and the Center for Naval Analyses Corporation, members of the U.S. defense community discussed approaches to meeting the challenges of a demanding future security environment.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Lessons from Early Adopters of Child-Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems — Sep. 16, 2008

Although child-care quality rating and improvement systems have widespread appeal and are being adopted in many states, there is a dearth of practical knowledge on how to develop and implement them. A review of early-adopter programs highlights lessons learned and offers recommendations.

Full Document Research Brief Policy Brief Child Policy Research Area

Retail Medical Clinics Attract Patients Who Do Not Have Regular Health Care Providers — Sep. 10, 2008

Retail medical clinics located in pharmacies and other stores typically attract insured and uninsured patients who are seeking help for a small group of easy-to-treat illnesses or preventive care and do not otherwise have a regular health care provider.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Improving Arts Education Is Key To Stemming Audience Decline — Sep. 8, 2008

Policymakers have underestimated the critical role of arts learning in supporting a vibrant nonprofit cultural sector. Despite decades of effort to make high-quality works of art available to Americans, demand for the arts has failed to keep pace with supply.

Full Document News Release Research Brief The Arts Research Area

Previously Deported Immigrants More Likely to Be Rearrested After Leaving Jail — Sep. 8, 2008

Deportable immigrants who previously have been expelled from the United States are more likely to be rearrested on suspicion of committing a crime after they are released from jail than other deportable immigrants without the prior history of expulsion.

News Release Read More Public Safety Research Area

A President's Early Foreign Policy, National Security Success Depends on Transition — Sep. 8, 2008

The foreign policy success of incoming presidents, particularly in the early years of a presidency, is largely determined by how well the new administration learns from the successes and failures of the outgoing president.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

State Paid Leave Program Has Not Boosted Employed Parents' Ability to Care for Ill Kids — Sep. 4, 2008

California's 2004 Paid Family Leave Insurance Program, the first to be instituted in the country, has not increased the use of paid family leave by employed parents in order to care for chronically ill children, probably due to lack of awareness of the program.

Abstract News Release Health and Health Care Research Area

A Common Operating Picture for Air Force Materiel Sustainment — Sep. 3, 2008

Implementing a common operating picture would help the Air Force conquer the countervailing pressures that place continuous demands on the organization: to increase efficiency and lower costs, and to increase the effectiveness of combat and training operations.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Assistance and Accountability in Externally Managed Schools: The Case of Edison Schools, Inc. — Sep. 5, 2008

A four-year study of the nation’s largest private contractor of public school management reveals the ways in which Edison’s comprehensive approach, which aims to promote high-quality instruction, is affected by variation in school leadership and district policies.

Full Document Peabody Journal of Education web site Education Research Area

South Korea Achieves Democracy Despite Previous Obstacles — Sep. 2, 2008

Key successes in achieving reform and development – particularly the creation of government stakesholders, the broadening of the ideological spectrum, collaboration between political factions, and major internal and external shocks – have contributed to the consolidation of the democratic system.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Early Puberty in Girls Is a Risk Factor for Delinquency, Requires Positive Parenting — Aug. 31, 2008

Early puberty is a risk factor for delinquency, and early puberty combined with low parental nurturance, communication, or parental knowledge of the child's activities presents a risk for aggressive behavior in early adolescent girls.

Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

The Cost-Effectiveness of Education Interventions in Poor Countries — Aug. 27, 2008

The August issue of Policy Insight discusses the growing use of randomized trials to determine the effectiveness of development programs in low-income countries, suggesting that similar methods should be used to assess the cost-effectiveness of education interventions in these countries.

Full Document Working Paper PRGS Policy Insight Web Page Child Policy Research Area

Improving the Cost Estimation of Space Systems — Aug. 25, 2008

Why have the costs of acquiring space systems been so high? What are the sources of the problems? To answer these questions, RAND researchers examined the sources of cost growth of Air Force space systems and undertook an extensive study of two space systems.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Dangerous Thresholds: Managing Escalation in the 21st Century — Aug. 25, 2008

Historical examples and the analysis of two modified Delphi exercises augment an examination of approaches to escalation management within the demands of today’s security environment and its attendant threats involving not only long-standing nuclear powers, but also insurgent groups and terrorists.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Terrorism Expert Examines Intelligence on Al Qaida in "Will Terrorists Go Nuclear?" — Aug. 20, 2008

According to a British intelligence report leaked to the press in 2007, al Qaida operatives are planning a large-scale attack "on par with Hiroshima and Nagasaki." But just how likely is such an attack?

Full Document News Release Ordering Information is available on the Prometheus Books web site Related Report Brian Michael Jenkins Discusses "Will Terrorists Go Nuclear?"National Security Research Area

Overview of Research Literature Finds Positive Effects of Education on Community — Aug. 20, 2008

A review of existing research prepared for a group of Santa Monica community and school leaders finds strong evidence of a positive correlation between education and community health, as measured through data on crime, employment and earnings, housing values and tax revenues.

Full Document Education Research Area

Public Investment in Rail Capacity Expansion May Be Justified but Strategy Needed — Aug. 19, 2008

The volume of freight transported in the United States is expected to double over the next 30 years. Greater use of rail freight could allow the supply chain to accommodate this increase while minimizing highway congestion and reducing fuel consumption.

Full Document Related Report Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Ambassador James Dobbins Recounts U.S. Diplomatic Efforts, Failure in Afghanistan — Aug. 18, 2008

James Dobbins' memoir of his ambassadorship in war-torn Afghanistan, where he was sent to help the Afghans assemble a successor government to the Taliban, yields insights into how government and diplomacy really work, and explains why the United States has failed to stabilize either Afghanistan or Iraq.

Full Document News Release Order this book from Potomac Books American Academy of Diplomacy web site Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area Book Review

DoD Should Consider Nonmilitary Means to Advance U.S. National Security Interests — Aug. 13, 2008

The nature of recent challenges and the types of missions the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has undertaken highlight the need for training DoD personnel in the simultaneous use of different types of tools, military and otherwise.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Flexibility and Sensitivity to Local Concerns Are Crucial to Long-Term U.S. Security Relationships with Iraq and Afghanistan — Aug. 1, 2008

The United States is heavily invested – diplomatically, economically, and militarily – in Iraq and Afghanistan. Based on this, the United States must clarify its long-term intentions to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the surrounding regions.

Full Document Research Brief National Security Research Area

U.S. Should Rethink "War On Terrorism" Strategy to Deal with Resurgent Al Qaida — Jul. 29, 2008

Current U.S. strategy against terrorist organization al Qaida has not been successful at limiting the group's capabilities. Since Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaida has been involved in more terrorist attacks than ever before, spanning an increasingly broader range of targets.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Congressional Briefing National Security Research Area Book Review

UK's 30 Year Defense Plan to Acquire 50 Ships, Submarines May Overstretch Capacity — Jul. 21, 2008

To preserve its ability to design, build and support complex warships and submarines, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD) asked RAND Europe for help with identifying labour implications for its shipbuilding programme. Research indicates that MOD will need to preserve and sustain several key technical skills, especially detailed designers and professional engineers for various stages of surface ship and submarine acquisition and support.

Full Document Research Brief

California's Workers' Compensation Program Could Model Pay-for-Performance — Jul. 17, 2008

California's workers' compensation group health program is suitable for three models of a pay-for-performance initiative that include agreed on performance measures, expandable data-collection infrastructure, and incentives in order to ensure physician buy-in.

Full Document Health and Health Care Research Area

Sources of Weapon System Cost Growth in Major Defense Acquisition Programs — Jul. 10, 2008

The U.S. Department of Defense and Military have historically underestimated the price tag of new weapon systems. A variety of factors lead to acquisition cost growth, including military planning errors, government policy changes, and financial issues like inflation and shifting exchange rates.

Full Document National Security Research Area

U.S. Has Long-Term Economic, Political Options to Help Make Iran More Democratic — Jul. 10, 2008

The United States should pursue a mixed strategy toward Iran, using a variety of means to promote favorable social developments within the country and at the same time exploiting vulnerabilities in the nation's political, economic and demographic conditions.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

European Forces Play Growing Role in Nation-Building, Peacekeeping Operations Worldwide — Jul. 8, 2008

Over the past few years, the European Union has demonstrated the capacity to deploy and employ armed force outside its borders in support of broader common policy objectives, creating a new player in nation-building operations.

Full Document News Release Related Report Related Report Related Report National Security Research Area Book Review

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Linked with Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status — Jul. 6, 2008

Higher neighborhood socioeconomic status is associated with greater fruit and vegetable intake. This link is an important pathway through which social environments affect population health.

Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Health of Chinese and Indian Citizens Improves but Still Lags Behind Rest of World — Jul. 1, 2008

China and India's health systems have shown advances in boosting life expectancy and disease prevention in the past fifty years. However, those living in the two nations are still exposed to a high degree of financial risk, geographical inequities in health care access, and overall poorer health than in other countries.

Full Document Related Report Health and Health Care Research Area

Shortcomings in Planning for Post-Combat Period in Iraq — Jun. 30, 2008

Efforts to adequately plan for the post-combat period in Iraq were thwarted by overly optimistic views held by top civilian leaders and a belief among military leaders that civilian authorities would be responsible for postwar operations.

Full Document News Release National Security Research Area

An Assessment of How Tobacco Money Could Improve Washington, D.C.’s Health Care System — Jun. 25, 2008

This study of health care access and delivery in the nation's capital explores how an assessment of D.C. citizens' comprehensive and urgent health needs as well as the recent tobacco settlement could be used to improve local health care policy options.

Full Document Interim Report Health and Health Care Research Area

Major Technology Progress Needed for 25 Percent Renewable Energy Use to Be Affordable — Jun. 24, 2008

Dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the United States desires to produce 25 percent of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs.

Full Document News Release RAND California's Energy and Environment Statistics Database Energy and Environment Research Area

The Rise of Political Islam in Turkey: The Nation’s Role in Western Security Efforts — Jun. 23, 2008

While Muslim-majority Turkey may be the linchpin to promoting liberal Islam worldwide, relationships between the nation’s secular government and religious forces have shifted in the past decade, with implications for the future of Islam in the region and the world.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Public and Private Collaboration Can Provide Arts Education, Aid Child Development — Jun. 18, 2008

Amid cutbacks in school arts education funding, public and private organizations in six urban regions have collaborated to expand access to arts learning for children in and outside of public school.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Education Research Area

Room for Improvement in California's Use of High-Quality Preschool Programs — Jun. 18, 2008

More than half of California’s preschoolers attend center-based early care and education programs, but the children who have the most to gain from preschool frequently are those least likely to participate in the programs.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Related Report Related Report Related Report Policy Brief

Improving Outcomes in Iraq Depends on Better Tracking of Violence Against Iraqis — Jun. 16, 2008

A formalized system of data collection will help monitor the extent and type of violence against Iraq civilians and will help improve U.S. counterinsurgency efforts.

Full Document National Security Research Area

U.S. Leads the World in Science and Technology With Help of Foreign Scientists — Jun. 12, 2008

An inflow of foreign students in the sciences -- as well as scientists and engineers from overseas -- has helped the United States build and maintain its worldwide lead in science and technology.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Conference Proceeding

Virginity Pledges May Be Appropriate As One Component of Sex Education — Jun. 10, 2008

Adolescents who made pledges to remain virgins until they are married were less likely to be sexually active over the three-year study period than other youth who were similar to them, but who did not make a virginity pledge

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Assessing NYPD’s Firearm Training and Firearm Discharge Investigations — Jun. 9, 2008

More opportunities for thorough training, closer monitoring of lower-rated police officers, and incorporating non-lethal devices can help further reduce the already minute probability that an NYPD officer fires their weapon.

Full Document Research Brief Author Statement Public Safety Research Area

U.S. Efforts in Afghanistan Will Fail If Taliban Not Routed from Pakistan — Jun. 9, 2008

If Taliban sanctuary bases in Pakistan are not eliminated, the United States and its NATO allies will face crippling long-term consequences in their effort to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan.

Full Document Research Brief News Release National Security Research Area

While Piracy and Terrorism at Sea Grow, Scant Evidence That They're Merging — Jun. 5, 2008

Acts of piracy and terrorism at sea are on the rise, but there is little evidence to support concerns from some governments and international organizations that pirates and terrorists are beginning to collude with one another.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

U.S. Military Prone to Operations Not in Accord with COIN Doctrine — Jun. 4, 2008

Similarities between the Vietnam War and current Middle East operations reveal our military is apt to engage in traditional warfare despite the more nuanced tactics called for by counter-insurgency doctrine.

Full Document National Security Research Area

The Brain's Role in Obesity; Subconscious Food Triggers — Jun. 3, 2008

In the past thirty years obesity has become a global epidemic, largely due to an environment of increasingly accessible high-calorie food, which triggers ten pathways in the brain that lead to overeating without our awareness.

Research Brief Read More Health and Health Care Research Area

Long, Unpredictable Delays Found in Louisiana `The Road Home' Grants to Homeowners — May 27, 2008

Louisiana homeowners who sought federally-funded grants through “The Road Home” program for homes damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had to wait more than eight months on average to receive grants.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Breaking the Failed-State Cycle — May 27, 2008

The predominant threat to U.S. security in the 21st century comes not from the actions of opposing countries but from the fallout of collapsing ones. The world’s leading states can and should help the citizens of failed states by integrating efforts to reduce violence, advance the economy, and reform government.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Afghanistan: From Chaos and Corruption to Sustainable Success — May 23, 2008

Since the 2002 U.S.-led attacks in Afghanistan, the country has struggled to stabilize their government and society. RAND co-hosted a conference attended by experts in academia, government and NGOs from over 20 nations to discuss the need for a strategic approach to Afghanistan's attempts at nation-building.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Unbeknownst to U.S., Islamic Media Shapes the Mid-East — May 23, 2008

A DVD is now available of a conference RAND sponsored to build awareness of popular media initiatives in the Islamic world that are successfully combating extremist agendas.

Full Document Science and Technology Research Area

What Does Economics Tell Us About Early Childhood Policy? — May 12, 2008

A growing body of economic research suggests that public investment in early childhood programs may be able to lower public costs for social services by improving children's long-term welfare.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Child Policy Research Area

New Approaches to Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations — May 8, 2008

The U.S. Air Force has greatly increased the number of operational surveillance sensors and its ability to process data from these sensors. However, along with the increased number of sensors comes an increase in the complexity of the tasking of these assets.

Full Document Research Brief National Security Research Area

Charter School Students in Chicago Enjoy Better Graduation, College Entry Rates — May 7, 2008

Chicago's multi-grade charter high schools (those serving students in grades 7-12, 6-12 or K-12) appear to improve their students' chances of graduating and attending college, as compared with the city's traditional public high schools.

Full Document Superseding Document

Rethinking Counterinsurgency to Respond to the Evolving Jihadist Insurgency — May 5, 2008

Despite great technological and military advances, British and U.S. counterinsurgency (COIN) operations have been slow to respond and adapt to the rise of the global jihadist insurgency. Operational failures have highlighted the need for the West to rethink and retool its current COIN strategy.

Full Document Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Spirituality for Kids After-School Program has Significant Positive Effects — Apr. 29, 2008

A nonreligious after-school program, Spirituality for Kids (SFK) seeks to build resilience in children. Interestingly, it improves not just social and internal outcomes but also school-related outcomes, even though it is not an academic intervention.

Full Document Research Brief Child Policy Research Area

"Preferred Performance Metric" Could Aid Evaluation of Army Recruiters — Apr. 20, 2008

Traditional Army recruiter performance metrics do not adequately measure effort, skill, and productivity. A “preferred performance metric” that takes into account the difficulty of recruiting different types of youth in various markets could provide a more accurate assessment of recruiters.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Comparing Alternative U.S. Counterterrorism Strategies — Apr. 19, 2008

The U.S. faces the challenge of countering the terrorism threat. Frequently, both expert decisionmakers and lay citizens have trouble assessing alternative strategies to address such issues because of the emotions and uncertainty involved. An assumption-based planning approach might help.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

One In Five Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Suffer from PTSD or Major Depression — Apr. 17, 2008

Nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan — 300,000 in all — report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slightly more than half have sought treatment.

Full Document News Release Invisible Wounds of War: Summary and Recommendations Research Brief Post-Deployment Stress: What You Should Know, What You Can Do Post-Deployment Stress: What Families Should Know, What Families Can Do Media Interview Testimony Testimony Testimony Health and Health Care Research Area veterans.rand.org Book Review

The Challenge of Nuclear-Armed Regional Adversaries — Apr. 15, 2008

North Korea's test of a nuclear weapon in 2006 shows that such weapons are within reach of determined regional powers. Thus, defense planners in the United States and elsewhere must begin now to confront the new security challenges posed by nuclear-armed regional adversaries.

Full Document National Security Research Area Research Brief

Understanding the Challenge of Extremist and Radicalized Prisoners — Apr. 15, 2008

A preliminary overview of the challenges posed by radicalized and extremist prisoners helps to explore the potential for the radicalization of young European Muslims in the prison environment.

Full Document

Increasing Aircraft Carrier Forward Presence — Apr. 10, 2008

U.S. Navy aircraft carrier fleets must balance the timing of maintenance, training, and deployment with presence and surge demands. An evaluation of deployment scenarios examines the feasibility of different cycle lengths, their effect on carrier forward presence, and their impact on shipyard workloads.

Full Document National Security Research Area Research Brief

Turkey as a U.S. Security Partner — Apr. 10, 2008

Turkey has long been an important ally, but Ankara is increasingly behaving more independently and assertively in ways that must factor into future U.S. planning for the region.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Miscommunication Hindered Student Participation in Programs Created by NCLB — Apr. 4, 2008

Student participation in school choice programs authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act was hindered because parents did not receive clear and timely communication from schools.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Education Research Area

Economic Burden of Health Insurance Increasing for Small Employers Providing Health Insurance — Apr. 4, 2008

The economic burden of providing health insurance for workers increased more for small businesses than for large ones from 2000 to 2005, but the spike did not cause a significant number of small employers to abandon the benefit.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Civil Justice Research Area

Economic Progress of Allegheny County Could be Enhanced by Government Consolidation — Apr. 3, 2008

The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania could enhance the economic progress of the region if its governments are consolidated, although evidence of such gains in other consolidations is mixed.

Full Document Public Safety Research Area

The Arts Debate: What do People Value About the Arts? — Mar. 29, 2008

In 2006 and 2007, Arts Council England ran a large inquiry called 'the arts debate'. A summary of the feedback from this inquiry offers insight into what people value about the arts and what principles should guide publicly funded arts organizations.

Full Document The Arts Research Area

What is the Relationship Between Gender and Health? — Mar. 27, 2008

Modern societies' health problems involve a combination of policies, personal behavior, and choice. An examination of the ways men's and women's lives and physiology contribute to differences in their health demonstates the importance of integrating health implications into everyday decisions and actions.

Full Document Order this book from Cambridge University Press Health and Health Care Research Area Book Review Sloan Work and Family Research Network Interview

The Legal and Economic Implications of Electronic Discovery — Mar. 27, 2008

Pretrial discovery is central to the American civil legal process, however the growing volume of electronically stored information has led to concerns over the effects of electronic discovery (e-discovery). A preliminary model explores the range of plausible effects that e-discovery might have on case outcomes.

Full Document Civil Justice Research Area

Developing U.S. Civilian Personnel Capabilities in State-Building Operations — Mar. 19, 2008

Recent U.S. experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown that engaging in stability and reconstruction operations is a difficult and lengthy process that requires appropriate resources. A framework for improving U.S. civilian personnel and staffing programs for state-building efforts could help.

Full Document International Affairs Research Area

Health Professionals and the Public Unprepared to Make Use of Genomic Medicine for Adults — Mar. 18, 2008

Although advances in genomic medicine for common adult chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer hold promise for improved prevention, diagnosis and treatment, health professionals and the public are not prepared to effectively integrate these new tools into practice.

News Release Abstract Read the Journal Article at JAMA Health and Health Care Research Area

U.S. Failed to Monitor and Adapt to Insurgent Trends in Iraq — Mar. 11, 2008

The inability of the United States to monitor insurgent trends in Iraq and apply new counterinsurgency tactics led many Iraqi civilians to side with sectarian groups, propelling the country to the brink of civil war.

Full Document News Release Research Brief National Security Research Area

Modernizing the North Korean System — Mar. 10, 2008

An unprecedented joint report by researchers from the U.S., China, Russia, Japan and South Korea recommends a new approach to promoting the modernization of North Korea, as well as a "tool kit" to enable North Koreans to create their own modernization plans.

Full Document News Release International Affairs Research Area

How Can We Assess Novel Threats to Homeland Security? — Mar. 10, 2008

Policymakers should take a measured approach to responding to possible terrorist use of "novel" weapons such as cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. This approach should be built on a foundation of investments in broader counterterrorism and law enforcement capabilities.

Full Document National Security Research Area

What are the Costs and Benefits of Out-of-School-Time Youth Programs? — Feb. 29, 2008

Evaluation of youth programs offered during the time that students are not in school shows that the programs that are costlier and provide more-intense resources to youth perform the best.

Full Document Child Policy Research Area

More Value Should be Placed on the Tradecraft of Intelligence Analysis — Feb. 29, 2008

While the initiatives set in motion by the December 2004 intelligence reform legislation are promising, they are just the beginning. Intelligence analysis needs improvement across U.S. intelligence agencies to account for a world of threats very different from that of the Cold War.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Women and Nation-Building — Feb. 27, 2008

Women's participation in post-conflict nation-building is an important ingredient in achieving an equitable, peaceful and more prosperous society. Leaders should include women in the earliest economic reconstruction activities.

Full Document News Release Reprint International Affairs Research Area Book Review

A Comparison of the Education Systems in India and China — Feb. 25, 2008

Different educational approaches in China and India have been successful in stimulating economic growth; the successes and challenges of both education systems offer valuable lessons for China, India, and the rest of the developing world.

Full Document Related Report International Affairs Research Area

Recidivism No Higher Among Deportable Immigrants Than Similar Nondeportable Immigrants — Feb. 22, 2008

Deportable immigrants released from the Los Angeles County jail system were no more likely to be rearrested than similar nondeportable immigrants released during the same period.

News Release Journal Article Public Safety Research Area

How Should Scientists Respond to Concern Over Technology-Driven Threats? — Feb. 21, 2008

Scientists and engineers should undertake efforts to reduce the negative impacts of their work. Technology impact studies can be incorporated into the research plans of major new initiatives, along with formal requirements to mitigate known negative societal impacts.

Full Document Science and Technology Research Area

Health Indicators Address Quality of Care in Older Adults — Feb. 15, 2008

Vulnerable elders receive on average only half of recommended care; for conditions that affect primarily the elderly, they receive appropriate care less than one-third of the time. Interventions based on ACOVE indicators can improve the care physicians provide to older adults.

Full Document Research Brief Research Brief Health and Health Care Research Area

Improving Strategic Planning at the Department of Defense — Feb. 14, 2008

The Department of Defense works continuously to improve its strategic planning for future forces. An enhanced approach utilizing portfolio-analysis methods should be particularly helpful in high-level reviews seeking to integrate requirement-setting, technology assessments, and cost analyses.

Full Document Research Brief National Security Research Area

Identifying Priorities for Post-Secondary Education in Qatar — Feb. 12, 2008

Education and employment preferences in Qatar are not well aligned with the demands of the Persian Gulf state's labor market, and existing post-secondary educational offerings do not meet all of the nation's needs.

Full Document News Release: English Version News Release: Arabic Version (PDF)Research Brief: English Version Research Brief: Arabic Version Education Research Area

United States Lacks the Capability to Counter Insurgency in the Muslim World — Feb. 11, 2008

Iraq and Afghanistan have revealed serious shortfalls in the capabilities of the U.S. to counter insurgency in the Muslim world. Instead of relying predominantly on military occupation, the U.S. must become more able to bolster the ability of threatened states to win the contest for the support of their people.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Assessing the Impact of Nutrition Label Revisions in the EU — Feb. 7, 2008

The European Commission (EC) is currently considering a revision of its food nutrition labelling legislation. An assessment of the proposed policy alternatives addresses their potential economic, social and environmental impact.

Full Document Health and Health Care Research Area

Identifying & Reducing Climate-Change Vulnerabilities in Water-Management Plans — Jan. 31, 2008

Climate change will affect water supplies in California, but few water-management agencies have formally included it in their plans. Robust decisionmaking methods can help identify vulnerabilities related to climate change and evaluate the most effective options for managing those risks.

Full Document Research Brief Related Report Related Report Energy and Environment Research Area

California Lags Nation in Tracking Students' Educational Progress — Jan. 29, 2008

While California has basic tracking system architecture in place to allow the state's educators to closely follow the progress of students from kindergarten to post-secondary education, officials must overcome political and financial barriers.

Full Document News Release Education Research Area

Path to Diversity Success Varies According to Company's History, Culture, Mission — Jan. 23, 2008

Companies recognized for exemplary diversity may follow a core set of motives and behaviors, but best practices alone do not always contribute to a high level of diversity.

Full Document News Release Workforce and Workplace Research Area

Consumers Could Buy Yearly `Drug Licenses' As New Way to Pay for Prescriptions — Jan. 21, 2008

Changing the way consumers pay for prescription drugs so that the system more closely resembles paying for cell phones or computer software could increase drug use without altering patients' out-of-pocket spending, health plan costs or drug company profits.

News Release Abstract Read the Article at healthaffairs.org Health and Health Care Research Area

Maintaining Military Medical Skills During Peacetime — Jan. 17, 2008

To maintain medical skills during peacetime, military medical personnel could be stationed in nonmilitary settings where the case mix might more closely resemble that under deployment.

Full Document National Security Research Area Research Brief

Teens Who Work Are More Likely to Smoke — Jan. 15, 2008

An analysis of substance use among teens in the 10th grade found a strong association between working for pay and smoking. Even after adjusting for other factors that influence teen smoking behavior, the study found a clear link between the amount of time teenagers worked and their current use of tobacco.

Full Document Abstract Substance Abuse Research Area

Estimating the Value of Water-Use Efficiency in the Intermountain West — Jan. 10, 2008

Evaluating the cost-effectiveness of water-efficiency programs can be difficult, because not all the benefits are easily quantified. An economic framework based on two tools from the California Urban Water Conservation Council helps estimate the avoided costs and environmental benefits of increasing water-use efficiency.

Full Document Related Report Related Report Energy and Environment Research Area

Community Policing and Violence Prevention in Oakland — Jan. 8, 2008

An assessment of the first-year progress of community-policing and violence-prevention programs in Oakland funded by Measure Y found that implementation of community policing has been delayed, but violence-prevention programs have been implemented as planned.

Full Document Related Report Public Safety Research Area

Complexity of Industry Makes It Difficult to Distinguish Broker-Dealers & Investment Advisers — Jan. 3, 2008

The financial services industry is complex and financial service professionals are becoming less distinguishable and more inter-related. However, investors are generally highly satisfied with their own financial service providers.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Related Report Civil Justice Research Area

Live Operators Crucial for Public Health Department Disease-Reporting Hotlines — Jan. 2, 2008

Public health departments that staff disease-reporting hotlines with live operators at all times are more likely to meet federal guidelines designed to help stop the spread of infectious diseases.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Preparing for the Psychological Consequences Following Large-Scale Emergencies — Dec. 31, 2008

New training manuals provide a curricula that can be used to train hospital and clinic staff as well as department of mental health staff on how to prepare for and respond to the psychological consequences of large-scale disasters.

Full Document Los Angeles County Web site Related Report Health and Health Care Research Area

Modernizing the Federal Government through Pay-for-Performance — Dec. 31, 2007

In 2003, the Volcker Commission recommended that explicit pay-for-performance (PFP) systems be adopted more broadly throughout the federal government. What are the pros and cons of PFP schemes compared with seniority-based salary systems?

Full Document Related Report Workforce and Workplace Research Area

U.S. Air Force and Navy Reinforce One Another in Strike-Warfare Operations — Dec. 27, 2007

The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have steadily developed exceptional cross-service harmony in their conduct of integrated strike operations since the first Persian Gulf War in 1991. That close harmony contrasts sharply with the situation that prevailed throughout most of the Cold War.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues Among People with HIV — Dec. 19, 2007

People living with HIV are much more likely to experience mental health or substance abuse problems than are people in the general population. About one in three individuals do not receive treatment services for these problems.

Full Document HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS) web site Health and Health Care Research Area

What are the Effects of Marijuana Sanctions on Risk and Price? — Nov. 26, 2007

Lower legal risks for marijuana users users are associated with higher marijuana prices and thus higher profits for drug dealers.

Abstract Substance Abuse Research Area

Linking Adolescent Problems to Substance-Use Problems in Young Adulthood — Nov. 2, 2007

Problematic substance use, failure to assume adult roles and responsibilities, and exposure to pro-drug social influences in adolescence may be linked to later substance use.

Full Document The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs web site Substance Abuse Research Area

Is There a Civil-Military Gap in the United States? — Oct. 15, 2007

Concerns about a civil-military gap and possible erosion of the principle of civilian control of the military appear to be overstated. The groups do not differ greatly on the questions that are most pertinent to military effectiveness.

Full Document National Security Research Area

Implementing Youth Prevention Programs in Communities — Jul. 30, 2007

Underage drinking is a significant problem in the United States. To address this problem, RAND researchers developed guides to provide key accountability questions, worksheets, tools, and examples to help communities plan, implement, and evaluate their efforts to reduce and prevent underage drinking.

Full Document Getting To Outcomes 2004 Getting To Outcomes 2004 Spanish Version Summary of Getting To Outcomes 2004 Research Brief Getting To Outcomes 2004 Getting To Outcomes for Underage Drinking Substance Abuse Research Area

A Vision for the Arts in Los Angeles — May 14, 2007

The arts in L.A. are booming. But the city, major players, the public, and the arts sector lack a shared vision for realizing its full potential. On October 5, 2006, RAND hosted a Policy Forum to guide strategic thinking about the future of the arts in Los Angeles.

Full Document The Arts Research Area

Alcohol Advertising and Marketing Are Associated with Adolescent Drinking — May 3, 2007

Children in the sixth and seventh grades that are exposed to alcohol advertising at high levels were 50 percent more likely to drink and 36 percent more likely to intend to drink than children whose exposure to alcohol advertising was very low.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

Greater Collaboration and Centralization of Functions Needed to Support Arts — Mar. 9, 2007

The arts sector in Philadelphia and other big cities would benefit greatly from a strong local agency to coordinate cultural activities and help make arts an integral part of each community.

Full Document News Release Research Brief The Arts Research Area

Strategies for Building Support for State Arts Agencies — Aug. 7, 2006

State arts agencies have contributed to a nationwide flourishing of professional artists and art organizations. Those agencies seeking increased state government support for the arts should strengthen their relationships with elected officials and raise their profile with the public.

Full Document News Release Research Brief The Arts Research Area

Visual Arts Picture Isn't as Rosy as It First Appears — Aug. 11, 2005

Despite record museum attendance, booming commercial popularity, soaring prices for artists' work and well-publicized museum expansions, the relationship between visual artists, institutions and patrons faces significant challenges.

Full Document News Release Related Report Related Report The Arts Research Area

Reframing the Debate About the Benefits of the Arts — Feb. 15, 2005

The key to spreading the benefits of the arts is to engage greater numbers of Americans. To that end, attention and resources must be balanced between building the supply of the arts and cultivating demand for them.

Full Document News Release Research Brief The Arts Research Area

LA Schools’ Arts Need Coordination With Arts Groups — Sep. 15, 2004

Arts education programs in Los Angeles public schools could become more effective if schools and local arts organizations work together to create a coherent, standards-based arts curriculum.

Arts Agencies Need to Reach Out to Broader Public — Jun. 4, 2004

With tight budgets forcing cuts in state spending nationwide, the state arts agencies will have to increase public participation in and government backing for their arts programs to avoid a continued cycle of budget woes.

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Trimming U.S. Health Care Spending Will Require New Approaches in Designing, Adopting Strategies — Nov. 11, 2009

Study of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Questions Assumptions Behind "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" — Nov. 9, 2009

The Day After... in Jerusalem: A Strategic Planning Exercise on the Path to Middle East Peace — Nov. 6, 2009

Ending Social Promotion Without Leaving Children Behind: The Case of New York City — Oct. 15, 2009

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Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar — Oct. 8, 2009

How Have Deployments During the War on Terrorism Affected Reenlistment? — Oct. 7, 2009

Los Angeles Fast-Food Restaurant Ban Unlikely to Have Impact on Obesity — Oct. 6, 2009

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The Reform of Qatar University — Oct. 5, 2009

Living Conditions in Anbar Province in June 2008 — Sep. 30, 2009

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Integrating Civilian Agencies in Stability Operations — Sep. 25, 2009

More Support Is Needed to Integrate Nongovernmental Agencies in Human Recovery from Disasters — Sep. 23, 2009

Barriers to the Broad Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World — Sep. 22, 2009

Improving the Energy Performance of Buildings: Learning from the European Union and Australia — Sep. 21, 2009

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Recruiting Minorities: What Explains Recent Trends in the Army and Navy? — Sep. 8, 2009

Countering Piracy in the Modern Era — Sep. 3, 2009

Retail Medical Clinics Can Provide Care at Lower Cost, Similar Quality As Other Medical Settings — Aug. 31, 2009

China's International Behavior: Activism, Opportunism, and Diversification — Aug. 27, 2009

Corporations and Counterinsurgency — Aug. 25, 2009

Certain Health Reform Policy Options Would Significantly Reduce Number of Uninsured Americans — Aug. 24, 2009

Medicare Prescription Benefit Program Has Exceeded Expectations — Aug. 24, 2009

Shaping Tomorrow Today: Near-Term Steps Towards Long-Term Goals — Aug. 13, 2009

Understanding Why Terrorist Operations Succeed or Fail — Aug. 11, 2009

Options for Controlling Health Care Spending in Massachusetts Are Examined — Aug. 7, 2009

Public Health Preparedness and Response to Chemical and Radiological Incidents — Aug. 6, 2009

A Question of Balance: Political Context and Military Aspects of the China-Taiwan Dispute — Aug. 5, 2009

U.S. Handling of Mujahedin-E-Khalq Since U.S. Invasion of Iraq Is Examined — Aug. 4, 2009

U.S.-U.K. Conference on Behavioral Finance and Public Policy: RAND Behavioral Finance Forum — Jul. 31, 2009

World Economic Recession Unlikely to Have Lasting Geopolitical Consequences — Jul. 30, 2009

Timeline to Withdraw U.S. Troops from Iraq Is Feasible, but Combat Forces Are Needed for Elections — Jul. 28, 2009

Rapid Growth in Health Care Costs Hurts Economic Performance of U.S. Industries — Jul. 23, 2009

The Phoenix Program and Contemporary Counterinsurgency — Jul. 22, 2009

In the Graveyard of Empires: America's War in Afghanistan — Jul. 14, 2009

Health Departments Get Mixed Marks for Using Web to Communicate About Flu Crisis — Jul. 7, 2009

The Reliability of Provider Profiling: A Tutorial — Jul. 3, 2009

Police Recruitment and Retention in the Contemporary Urban Environment — Jul. 1, 2009

The SSET Program: Support for Students Exposed to Trauma — Jun. 25, 2009

Intelligence for an Age of Terror: New Book Examines Implications of Terrorism for U.S. Intelligence — Jun. 23, 2009

Reconstruction Under Fire: Unifying Civil and Military Counterinsurgency — Jun. 17, 2009

Strategies and Models for Promoting Adolescent Vaccination for Low-Income Populations — Jun. 15, 2009

California Parolees Have a High Need for Health Services, but Accessing Services Is a Challenge — Jun. 11, 2009

U.S. Freight System Modernization Necessary to Reduce Bottlenecks, Improve Security — Jun. 9, 2009

Substance Use Is Not the Primary Cause of Workplace Injuries, but Is a Contributing Factor — Jun. 8, 2009

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Assessment Framework Can Help Security Planners Decide Which Hypothetical Threats To Worry About — Jun. 3, 2009

The Long March: Building an Afghan National Army — Jun. 2, 2009

Charging Drivers More at Peak Travel Times Can Be Sound Transportation Policy, But Equity Issues Must Be Addressed — Jun. 1, 2009

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EC Report Examines the World's Illicit Drugs Problem, Ten Years On — May 27, 2009

Social Science Approach to Counterterrorism Addresses Why Terrorism Arises and Declines — May 26, 2009

Limiting Work Hours for Medical Residents Could Cost Hospitals $1.6 Billion Annually — May 20, 2009

Dangerous But Not Omnipotent: Exploring the Reach and Limitations of Iranian Power in the Middle East — May 19, 2009

Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority and How It Failed to Secure Iraq — May 11, 2009

Economic Costs of Major Oil Supply Disruption Pose Risk to U.S. National Security — May 11, 2009

Helping the Los Angeles Police Department Recruit Efficiently — May 5, 2009

Justification and Options for Creating A U.S. Stability Police Force — May 4, 2009

Transportation Challenges for the New Administration: Perspectives of Past Transportation Secretaries — May 1, 2009

Drug Education Also Helps Curb Risky Sexual Behavior — Apr. 29, 2009

What the Policy Community Should Know About Corporate Compliance, Ethics, and Misdeeds — Apr. 28, 2009

Higher Co-Payments Discourage Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Illnesses from Starting Drug Treatment — Apr. 28, 2009

U.S.-Mexico Strategic Partnership Needed to Help Mexico Improve Its Security Institutions — Apr. 28, 2009

How the Air Force Can Understand and Mitigate Titanium Price Trends — Apr. 15, 2009

Enhancing Combat Operations Through Improved Air-Ground Integration — Apr. 14, 2009

Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria — Apr. 14, 2009

A Framework to Assess Programs for Building Security Partnerships Among Nations — Apr. 13, 2009

Five Key Education Priorities for the Obama Administration — Apr. 8, 2009

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United States Should Tailor Its Russia Policy to Build on Shared Views and Interests — Apr. 1, 2009