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Globalization

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International trade policies and new technologies facilitate the flow of people, information, and products across national borders, in turn encouraging the integration of regional economies, societies, and cultures. RAND research has investigated how globalization affects and has been affected by policymaking throughout the world.

Essay
The Economic Returns of Foreign Language Learning
If just 10 percent more students in the United Kingdom mastered Arabic, Mandarin, French, or Spanish, the economic returns could be measured in billions of British pounds. Removing the language barrier reduces trade costs.
Jul 7, 2022
Report
Advancing Global Citizenship in America
Concerted international action is required to address climate change and sustainability, pandemics, global security, and economic growth. But such action requires a sense of common destiny and shared responsibility among people across nations. What are Americans' attitudes toward global issues, and what could encourage them to become citizens of the world?
Mar 24, 2022

Explore Globalization

Report
U.S.-China Rivalry in a Neomedieval World
The neomedieval era, which began around 2000, is characterized by weakening states, fragmenting societies, imbalanced economies, and informalized warfare. What do these conditions mean for competition—and potential conflict—between the United States and China?
Jun 6, 2023
Commentary
U.S.-China Rivalry in an Era of Weakening States
With their weakened state capacity, disengaged publics, and imbalanced economies, the United States and China break the pattern seen in other rivalries between great powers. New theories and ideas will be required to cope with problems largely unknown to the great-power rivals of the recent past.
Jun 6, 2023
Report
What Taiwan's Dominance in Semiconductor Production Means for the U.S.
Semiconductors have become an integral part of nearly every industry. Production of the highest-end semiconductors exists almost entirely in Taiwan. If China were to unify with Taiwan, there are no good short-term options for responding to the disruption that would cause to the global semiconductor supply chain.
Mar 13, 2023
Commercial Book
Tech Wars: Transforming U.S. Technology Development
This book explores the evolution of the U.S. research and development enterprise, asks whether this organization remains appropriate for current the challenges, and proposes strategies for better preparing for the global technology race.
Oct 13, 2022
Report
Digital Offshoring Could Affect U.S. Workers
The COVID-19 pandemic fueled a remote work boom as well as increases in innovation and investments in digital technologies. But could these developments backfire and lead to U.S. companies moving white-collar jobs overseas where labor costs are lower?
Oct 6, 2022
Commentary
The Rise of the Rest: How Russia Views the Future World Order
What Russia seeks is new political leadership across the Western world that does not support a status quo that can isolate Russia from the capital and technology it needs to generate security and prosperity over the long term.
Sep 19, 2022
Report
Use of Predictive Analytic Tools to Assess Technological Emergences and Acquisition Targets
Using patent filings, the authors analyze the current position of the United States relative to China in selected technology areas of interest to the Department of the Air Force.
Jun 2, 2022
Commentary
How to Save the Postwar Order
For the last decade or so, debate has raged among scholars and policymakers about the significance of the post–World War II, rules-based international order. Is it a feeble myth, or is it a powerful influence on state behavior? Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the global response to it has put these competing claims into sharp relief.
May 6, 2022
Commentary
Book Review: 'Isolating the Enemy' by Tao Wang
In his book, Isolating the Enemy: Diplomatic Strategy in China and the United States, 1953–1956, Dr. Tao Wang reviews key moments in the diplomatic strategies of China and the United States between 1953 and 1956. Although the book illuminates fascinating aspects of the period's diplomatic history, it unfortunately does not offer much insight into the reasons for the relative success of these contrasting strategies.
Apr 27, 2022
Commentary
Is There a Future for Multilateralism?
The rise in the use of informal arrangements and the proliferation in the use of regional arrangements have weakened multilateral institutions. Multilateralism's failure, if it happens, could raise significant challenges on how to address global public issues.
Apr 4, 2022
Blog
Insights on Russia's War in Ukraine, Global Citizenship, Vaccination Equity: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Russia's war on Ukraine, medication treatment for patients with opioid use disorder, promoting global citizenship in America, and more.
Mar 25, 2022
Research Brief
Talking business: How increasing languages education in the UK could benefit the economy
Findings show that investing in languages education in UK secondary schools will return more than the investment cost. The benefit-to-cost ratio is about 2:1, meaning that every £1 spent on extra language provision could return £2 for the economy.
Mar 2, 2022
Report
Investment in Languages Education Could Return Double for UK Economy
Languages play a significant role in international trade, and not sharing a common language acts as a non-tariff trade barrier. Benefit-to-cost ratios for increasing Arabic, Mandarin, French, or Spanish education in the UK are estimated to be at least 2:1, meaning that spending £1 could return £2.
Feb 21, 2022
Report
Crossroads of Competition: China, Russia, and the United States in the Middle East
This report details the political, economic, and military interests and activities of China and Russia in the Middle East and identifies where those efforts contest, intersect, or complement U.S. interests and activities.
Feb 2, 2022
Commentary
Shaping China's Ambitions
Managing a rivalry with a regionally ambitious, globally engaged peer competitor of China's economic heft and technological sophistication will be one of the most profound strategic tests the United States has ever faced. A major lesson from its last global rivalry is that mistaken impressions about the nature of the rival and the character of the rivalry can create momentum for dangerous policies.
Jan 24, 2022
Commentary
Avoiding a New Surge of Regime Change
As competition with China in the developing world heats up, the United States need not repeat the sad legacy of the Cold War with a surge of new efforts at covert regime change and harassment. Instead, America could maximize the systemic advantages it has long enjoyed, meet reformist leaders and movements in the developing world on their own terms, and trust the long-term appeal of American norms and values.
Dec 8, 2021
Report
Implementing China's Grand Strategy in Asia Through Institutions: An Exploratory Analysis
In this report, the authors review the literature on China's grand strategy and discuss China's use of institutions in implementing its grand strategy toward Asian nations of interest to China, including the countries of the Korean Peninsula.
Nov 29, 2021
Report
Addressing societal challenges in Norway: Key trends, future scenarios, missions and structural measures
Through a series of nine reports, the study identified priority missions that the Research Council of Norway could consider implementing in the future to address societal challenges, and potential structural measures needed to enable a resilient R&I environment in Norway.
Aug 9, 2021

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Tobias Sytsma

Associate Economist

Tobias (Toby) Sytsma is an associate economist at the RAND Corporation. His research focuses on international trade and supply chain frictions, natural disasters and climate change, economic development, and workforce development. His recent research includes an analysis of climate change's…
Robin Meili

Associate Director, International

Robin Meili is associate director, International; director, International Programs; and a senior management systems scientist at the RAND Corporation. Her primary responsibilities include globalizing RAND's research portfolio, managing philanthropic advisory boards and RAND's international…

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