December 2019

essay

Giving Patients a Voice in Medical Guidelines

Clinical guidelines are the user manuals of modern medicine. They can dictate insurance coverage and help hospitals set quality standards. Yet they often lack the perspective of those who care the most about good treatment: patients and their caregivers. Researchers are working to change that.

commentary

What Taiwan and Vietnam Could Tell Us in 2020

While many issues warrant attention in 2020, two that should be near the top of Asia-watchers' lists are Taiwan and Vietnam. Both are on the front lines of Chinese coercion, and their ability to respond, either with or without American support, will set the tone in the Indo-Pacific well beyond 2020.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman

commentary

Stability in Northeast Asia and the North Korean 'Christmas Present'

North Korea's extreme rhetoric is worrying people in Northeast Asia. Pyongyang is threatening a presumably violent “Christmas gift” to the United States at the same time that Washington's patience with Pyongyang has worn thin.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett

blog

Most Popular RAND Research of 2019

The search for lasting solutions to difficult policy problems starts with facts. Here are the 10 research projects that rand.org readers engaged with the most in 2019.

blog

Most Popular RAND Blog Commentary of 2019

Terrorism. The humanitarian crisis at the border. How to engage friends and foes on the world stage. Here are the top 10 commentaries that readers engaged with most on The RAND Blog in 2019.

q&a

Learning Is a Lifelong Process: Q&A with V. Darleen Opfer

As vice president and director of RAND Education and Labor, V. Darleen Opfer oversees a research portfolio that ranges from early childhood education to retirement planning. In this interview, she discusses what she learned from being a teacher, the need for evidence-based practices, and the importance of lifelong learning in today's labor market.

commentary

Carter's Compromise: Cowardice or Calculation?

Jørgen Jensehaugen's Arab-Israeli Diplomacy Under Carter is a valuable addition to the literature on American peacemaking efforts that deepens our understanding of the difficult choices future administrations will confront in their effort to defuse the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Alexandra T. Evans @AlexandraTEvans

commentary

How to Avoid the Season of Regret

The holiday season can bring with it not only the sting of cold air, but also the sting of regret. Regret is a slippery slope for mental health. RAND's Wendy Troxel shares simple, science-backed strategies to dodge year-end regrets.

Wendy M. Troxel @wendytroxel

commentary

North Korea Holds Most of the Cards in Nuclear Negotiations with U.S.

North Korea has been reminding the United States that the window to negotiate a nuclear deal is closing. Pyongyang will likely continue trying to force Washington's hand into a deal that allows North Korea to keep its weapons while still reaping economic and political concessions.

Soo Kim

blog

Best RAND Videos of 2019

At RAND, we examine complex issues in dozens of policy areas. And when our researchers aren't busy coming up with solutions to some of the world's biggest problems, sometimes they step in front of the camera to highlight their findings. Here are our top videos of 2019.

blog

Artificial Intelligence, Refugees, Global Health Security: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the Pentagon's artificial intelligence strategy, technology's role in the refugee crisis, threats to global health security, and more.

commentary

Where Science Says to Spend Any U.S. Opioid Settlement Money

A global settlement with pharmaceutical companies has started to appear more and more likely. Even with billions of dollars, the settlement resources won't be unlimited. To avoid mistakes made in the tobacco master settlement agreement, any opioid funds must be carefully allocated.

Rebecca Lee Haffajee, Bradley D. Stein @BradleyDStein

commentary

Iraq at the Crossroads

The protests gripping Iraq pose an extraordinary challenge to Baghdad's political leadership, which must move the country ahead or step aside. Unless it finds the will to compromise for the common good, the governing class could risk thrusting the country into civil war.

Linda Robinson

commentary

Bad Idea: Assuming the Small Wars Era Is Over

The national security community doesn't need to deny the potential for future great power conflict—or neglect to prepare for it—in order to acknowledge the enduring reality of asymmetric threats. Containing, resolving, and even preventing smaller conflicts is essential to avoiding bigger ones.

Alexandra T. Evans @AlexandraTEvans, Alexandra Stark

commentary

A Climate Scientist's Brush with Wildfire

RAND researcher Robert Lempert was evacuated from the path of a wildfire. This experience emphasized for him the challenges of adapting to climate change, not merely because it is hard, but because it makes the familiar become unfamiliar in unexpected ways.

Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert