July 2012

Global Security

commentary
What It Would Take to Intervene in Syria
Despite the pressure to do something, a realistic military option with a prospect of having a significant positive impact on the crisis has yet to emerge with Syria, writes Christopher Chivvis.
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Jul 27, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Christopher S. Chivvis

Affordable Care Act

commentary
Will More Employers Drop Coverage Under the ACA? Don't Bet on It
A problem with using surveys to predict behavior is that they measure employer sentiment toward the ACA today, rather than the economic decisions employers typically make when the time comes, writes Art Kellermann.
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Jul 27, 2012
The RAND Blog
Arthur L. Kellermann
Terrorism Threat Assessment

commentary
Al Qaeda's War for Syria
Assuming Assad's regime eventually collapses, a robust al Qaeda presence will undermine transition efforts and pose a major threat to regional stability, writes Seth Jones.
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Jul 27, 2012
The Wall Street Journal
Seth G. Jones
Diet and Eating Habits

commentary
Bedside Manners: Obesity Is Not All Your Fault
We will be more successful at stemming the growing tide of obesity and improving our own health if everyone accepts their share of responsibility for the obesity epidemic, write Chloe E. Bird and Tamara Dubowitz.
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Jul 26, 2012
Girl with Pen, Bedside Manners blog
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD, Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz
Chemical Weapons and Warfare

commentary
Syria's Chemical Weapons, and Beyond
Every possible effort toward peaceful resolution and proliferation avoidance, even to the extent of offering safe passage and immunity to reprehensible characters in order to buy the safe transfer and control of such materials, is worth consideration, write James T. Quinlivan and Bruce W. Bennett.
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Jul 26, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
James T. Quinlivan, Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
commentary
Drawing Right Lessons from the Olympic Security Debacle
The way forward is not for the government to say no to outsourcing of sensitive functions, but to think carefully about which efficiency savings are real and which are, instead, a result of introducing a far greater degree of risk, writes James Gilbert.
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Jul 25, 2012
The RAND Blog
James Gilbert
Terrorism Threat Assessment

commentary
The Olympics and Terrorism: Why the Games Remain an Appealing Target
While it is quite clear that attacking an event as internationally iconic as the Olympics would be attractive to modern terrorist groups with global aspirations, their ability to do so successfully and shift focus and attention from the competition and achievements of the Games to the terrorist groups' agendas is far less certain, writes Brian Jackson.
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Jul 25, 2012
The RAND Blog
Brian A. Jackson
blog
In Brief: Beau Kilmer on Marijuana Legalization
Beau Kilmer, senior policy researcher and codirector of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center, discusses what makes marijuana legalization so dramatically different from mere decriminalization.
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Jul 25, 2012
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Terrorism Threat Assessment

blog
An Assessment of the Current Terrorist Threat: A Resurgence of Iranian-Sponsored Terrorism
The future threat posed by Iranian-sponsored terrorism will be contingent upon Iran's calculations of risk. The current shadow war could escalate further if Iran thinks military attack by either Israel or the United States is inevitable and imminent or, obviously, if hostilities begin.
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Jul 23, 2012
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

commentary
Auditing U.S. Security Force and Economic Assistance Spending in Iraq
A new audit of Iraq reconstruction spending underlines the fact that effective help for a nation in conflict, or a conflict winding down, isn't merely a question of resources. It also requires a deployable infrastructure to manage the spending, writes Charles Ries.
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Jul 19, 2012
The RAND Blog
Charles P. Ries @charles_ries
Civic Education

blog
10 Books That Will Change the Way You Think
The Pardee RAND Graduate School asked its faculty members to name the books that inspired them, and remain essential reading for anyone who wants to stretch themselves and how they view the world.
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Jul 19, 2012
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

blog
Building an Afghanistan Security Force: What the US Experience in Iraq (and the Soviet Experience in Afghanistan) Can Teach Us
Olga Oliker's July 18, 2012 testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on building an Afghanistan security force.
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Jul 18, 2012
Olga Oliker
commentary
PIP Mandate Keeps Michigan's Auto Premiums High
By offering consumers more flexibility in personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, the Michigan legislature can reduce costs for many drivers while enabling those who want the best coverage to continue to buy it, writes Paul Heaton.
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Jul 18, 2012
The Detroit News
Paul Heaton
commentary
North Korean Defense Chief's Retirement Has Hallmarks of Purge
It is notable that North Korea's Politburo made the Ri announcement, suggesting a rise in power of the party relative to the military. The choice of Ri's successor is also curious, writes Bruce Bennett.
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Jul 17, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Cannabis

commentary
Important Facts About Marijuana Legalization
An excerpt from Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Jonathan P. Caulkins, Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer, Mark A. R. Kleiman, published by Oxford University Press (c) 2012 Oxford University Press.
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Jul 13, 2012
Huffington Post
Jonathan P. Caulkins, Angela Hawken, et al.
International Diplomacy

commentary
The Turkish-Iranian Alliance That Wasn't
As pressures for greater democracy in the Middle East have intensified, Turkey and Iran have clashed more openly and each side has sought to expand its influence at the expense of the other, writes F. Stephen Larrabee.
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Jul 12, 2012
Foreign Affairs
F. Stephen Larrabee