Featured Research
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
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 DocumentNational 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 DocumentNational 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 DocumentEducation 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 DocumentTransportation and Infrastructure Research Area
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 DocumentNational Security Research Area
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 DocumentHealth 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 DocumentNational Security Research Area
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.
AbstractHealth and Health Care 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 DocumentNational Security Research Area
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 DocumentNational 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 DocumentNational Security 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 DocumentInternational 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 DocumentInternational 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 DocumentScience and Technology Research Area
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 DocumentTerrorism 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
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
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
Examining California's School Readiness and Student Achievement Gaps — Nov. 8, 2007
California's sizeable achievement gaps in English-language arts and mathematics in second and third grades have early roots, with the same groups of children that lag in academic performance in elementary school trailing in measures of school readiness when they enter kindergarten.
Full DocumentNews Release
