June 2020

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Defund the LAPD? Garcetti Budget Proposal Takes a Step in That Direction

Calls to “defund the police” have grown common and urgent in the wake of police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and numerous other Black Americans. Research and community activists agree: Public safety can be improved by investing more public dollars in a social safety net, and less in policing and incarceration, in Los Angeles.

Alex R. Dopp @alex_dopp_phd, Stephanie Brooks Holliday, et al.

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Three Steps States Could Take to Make Sure Learning Is More Equitable Should Schools Close Again in the Fall

The quality of remote instruction depends on whether students can connect and interact with educators online. But poverty is a major driver of who gets high-quality online instruction and who doesn't. What can states do in this new reality?

Julia H. Kaufman @juliahkaufman

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Revoking the 'License to Drink': Emerging Evidence on Mandatory Sobriety

After counties in South Dakota implemented a 24/7 sobriety program, repeat arrests for impaired driving decreased in the counties by an average of 12%. North Dakota implemented a similar program and also saw decreases in impaired driving. Can the same results be achieved outside of the Dakotas?

Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer, Gregory Midgette

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Is North Korea Prepared to End the Korean War?

The end of the Korean War and peace on the peninsula are no more likely to occur as the result of a peace agreement than has North Korean denuclearization occurred as the result of multiple denuclearization agreements. Ultimately, North Korean objectives matter, and real peace does not appear to be part of those objectives.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett, Soo Kim

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Is It Time for a Federal Pandemic Insurance Program?

Insurance companies for the most part are not contractually obligated to cover the enormous business interruption losses caused by social distancing and stay-at-home orders. How might the United States design a system for risk spreading and compensation for pandemics? And what roles should insurance and government play?

Lloyd Dixon, Bethany Saunders-Medina

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The Postal Service, Election Security, Reducing Child Deaths: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the role of the U.S. Postal Service, preparing for the presidential election, reducing child deaths in Nigeria, and more.

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Small Businesses Need the Right Kind of Help to Survive the Economic Impact of COVID-19

Small and medium-sized companies are less equipped than large ones to weather the devastating effects of the pandemic. What could policymakers do to help these businesses get the help they need?

Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman

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A Machine Learning Approach Could Help Counter Disinformation

Disinformation has become a central feature of the COVID-19 crisis. This type of malign information and high-tech “deepfake” imagery poses a risk to democratic societies worldwide by increasing public mistrust in governments and public authorities. New research highlights new ways to detect and dispel disinformation online.

Kate Cox, Linda Slapakova, et al.

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A Path to Recovery from COVID-19 for Small Businesses

The COVID-19 pandemic has hammered small businesses around the United States. We spoke with 21 small business owners to learn more about the challenges they are facing and how they might best be helped.

C. Richard Neu, Diana Gehlhaus, et al.

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Japan and Dynamic Force Employment

In April, the United States ended a program that maintained a rotational bomber force to the U.S. territory of Guam. While the removal of a permanent bomber presence in the region has caused some in Japan to worry, U.S. commitment to Japan's defense shows no sign of changing nor does America's deterrent capability.

Jeffrey W. Hornung

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The Five Common Myths About Inclusive Education

Rising levels of social inequality and diversity in Europe have made social inclusion a priority for the European Union. But it remains a challenge to ensure access to quality early childhood education and care, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Susie Lee, Axelle Devaux

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What Elinor Ostrom Teaches Us About Avoiding the 'Tragedy of the Commons' in Delivering the Public Interest in the Post COVID-19 World

The public interest can be an elusive concept, especially when trying to distinguish between shared and individual interests, a problem brought into sharper focus as we try to find the right path to a post COVID-19 world. Governments are seeking to do the best for their societies with limited information. As more data is being acquired, how can public policy achieve common interest?

Tom Ling

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Keep Voters Healthy. Keep Elections Secure. Can the U.S. Do Both?

U.S. adversaries have stepped up cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. The United States should expect these foes to take advantage of the logistical challenges of voting in a COVID-19 world to redouble their efforts against elections.

Quentin E. Hodgson @QHodgson, Jennifer Kavanagh

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Considering Military Culture and Values When Adopting AI

As the U.S. military contemplates increasing the number and diversity of AI and other autonomous systems, it should consider timely means of mitigating any potential negative side effects.

Marta Kepe @martakepe

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The Dangers of Designating Antifa as a Terrorist Organization Now

The notion of designating Antifa as a terrorist organization may be intended to be a discrete act. But the precedent it would set could bring major strategic changes to how the United States uses counterterrorism laws, with uncertainties about whether those changes better serve national security.

Heather J. Williams @HeatherJWill