Featured Research
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
"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 DocumentNational 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 DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
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 DocumentNational Security Research Area
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 DocumentPublic Safety Research Area
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 DocumentNational Security 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 DocumentPublic 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 DocumentThe Arts Research Area
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 DocumentCivil 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 DocumentInternational 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 DocumentNational 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 DocumentChild 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 DocumentNational Security 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 DocumentScience and Technology 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 DocumentHealth 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 DocumentNational Security 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 DocumentPublic Safety 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 DocumentNational Security Research Area
Eating as an Automatic Behavior — Dec. 18, 2007
Conventional wisdom maintains that preventing obesity should be as simple as providing the right nutritional information and motivation. But a more effective approach is to decrease the accessibility, visibility and quantities of food to which people are exposed and reduce the environmental cues that promote eating.
AbstractHealth and Health Care Research Area
Improving Army Doctrine and Planning for Stability Operations — Nov. 26, 2007
The U.S. Army has put much effort into revising the approach to planning and implementing Stabilization, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction operations to ensure a common U.S. strategy. However, some elements essential to the success of the process are not yet in place.
Full DocumentNational Security 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.
AbstractSubstance Abuse Research Area
Victims of Terrorism Have Significant Influence on Policy and Legislation — Nov. 20, 2007
Since September 11, 2001, organized groups of families and friends have emerged to become a powerful voice in U.S. counterterrorist policy and legislation. These groups have been successful in establishing the 9/11 Commission and implementing its most important recommendations.
Full DocumentTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Army Resource Gaps Can Be Filled by Building Partner Capabilities — Nov. 6, 2007
Ongoing operations and emerging mission requirements place a heavy burden on U.S. Army resources, resulting in capability gaps that the Army might fill by building appropriate capabilities in allies and partner armies through focused security cooperation.
Full DocumentNational Security Research Area
Determining What Cities Are at Greatest Risk for Terrorist Attack — Nov. 6, 2007
The Department of Homeland Security is moving increasingly towards a process designed to manage the greatest risks instead of attempting to protect everything. A probabilistic terrorism model can be used to assist intelligence analysis by assessing risk across cities and within specific cities.
Full DocumentTerrorism and Homeland Security Research Area
Park and Ride Schemes Can Effectively Reduce Urban Congestion — Nov. 2, 2007
Increased congestion in urban areas is a key transport problem that has been exacerbated by heavy reliance on private car use. Park-and-ride schemes can be an effective means of reducing private automobile traffic within the congested center of an urban area.
Full DocumentTransportation and Infrastructure Research Area
Countering Terrorists' Use of Network Technologies — Oct. 15, 2007
Precluding terrorists from getting the technology they want is impractical, and developing direct counters is unlikely to yield high payoffs. Instead, counterterrorism programs should exploit the technologies and the information such technologies use to enable more direct security force operations.
Full DocumentTerrorism and Homeland Security 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 DocumentNational Security Research Area
Adolescent Romantic Relationships as Precursors of Healthy Adult Marriages — Oct. 11, 2007
Research has suggested that the building blocks of healthy adult marriages are formed during adolescence. A review of theory, research, and interventions on teen romantic relationships suggests future directions for policies and programs to help promote healthy marriages.
Full DocumentPopulation and Aging Research Area
Program for Parents Helps to Promote Adolescent Sexual Health — Oct. 5, 2007
Parents play an important role in the sexual health of their adolescent children. Talking Parents, Healthy Teens is an intervention designed to help parents improve communication with their adolescent children, promote healthy adolescent sexual development, and reduce adolescent sexual risk behaviors.
Full DocumentHealth and Health Care Research Area
Perspectives on U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology — Oct. 5, 2007
Is the U.S. in danger of losing its competitive edge in science and technology (S&T)? At a conference convened by RAND, experts from academia, government, and the private sector reviewed evidence and provided a partial survey of the potential erosion of U.S. S&T capability.
Full DocumentScience and Technology Research Area
The Quest for Common Grounds in American and Iranian Public Opinion — Oct. 2, 2007
Although the emergent and ever-deepening conflict between Iran and the U.S. is often framed in the rhetoric of "clash of civilizations," a review of data from the World Values Survey found considerable common ground in the values
of the American and Iranian peoples.
Full DocumentInternational Affairs Research Area
Are Annual Physical Exams Necessary? — Sep. 25, 2007
About 63 million U.S. adults visit a doctor annually for a routine medical or gynecological check-up at a total cost of $7.8 billion, but more than 80 percent of preventive care provided by doctors does not take place during this annual check-up.
AbstractHealth and Health Care Research Area
Polarized Politics and Policy Consequences — Sep. 13, 2007
To elucidate the impact of polarization on the daily lives of U.S. citizens, the research community may need to modify its benchmarks for what constitutes a successful public policy.
Full DocumentRelated Report
Why Are Eligible Children Not Enrolled in SCHIP? — Aug. 23, 2007
A greater number of eligible children could be enrolled in SCHIP if application processes were simplified and educational outreach efforts were increased. Also, primary care quality could be improved and disparities reduced if policies ensured that children had access to a regular provider when they needed care.
Full DocumentChild Policy Research Area
Cases of Undiagnosed Diabetes Drop Sharply — Aug. 13, 2007
The number of men in the United States with undiagnosed diabetes has declined sharply over the past 25 years, with Hispanics and African-Americans no longer more likely than whites to unknowingly have the disease.
News ReleasePopulation and Aging Research Area
Can Terrorists Use Publicly Available Information in Attacks? — Aug. 7, 2007
How much data regarding U.S. defenses is publicly available and how easily could it be found by individuals seeking to harm U.S. domestic interests? A new framework guides assessments of the availability of such information for planning attacks on the U.S. air, rail, and sea transportation infrastructure.
Full DocumentResearch Brief
