Blog Posts by Pardee RAND Faculty

Partitioning Iraq: Make a Detailed Case, or Cease and Desist
May 16, 2016
Ben Connable
The mostly non-Iraqi voices who want to divide the country into three ethno-sectarian cantonments—Shi'a, Sunni, and Kurd—owe the Iraqi people extensive, detailed clarification. If neither the Iraqi Arab polity nor Iraq's most powerful political factions seek three-way partition, writes Prof. Ben Connable, then the case should be closed.
What Are the Public Health Consequences of Legalizing Marijuana?
May 16, 2016
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Legalizing and allowing profit-maximizing firms to produce, sell, and advertise recreational marijuana would likely increase marijuana consumption. Prof. Beau Kilmer considers how this increased consumption would influence the use of other substances.
Helping Pittsburgh Stay on the Cutting Edge of Education Innovation
May 8, 2016
John F. Pane @JohnFPane, Laura S. Hamilton @HamiltonLauraS
Local organizations, educators, and leaders are creating remarkable learning experiences for Pittsburgh's young people, and other cities around the country are striving to replicate their innovations, write professors John Pane and Laura Hamilton.
Expo Line Could Enhance Wellbeing in Santa Monica
May 6, 2016
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
On May 20, the long-awaited Metro Expo Line will begin service to Santa Monica. Viewing urban mobility as a key component of community wellbeing may be an instructive way to assess the impact of Expo and other infrastructure efforts, writes Prof. Doug Yeung.
Iraq Reconciliation Requires American Help
May 5, 2016
Ben Connable
It is time for the United States to step in and take the lead on the crucial process of reconciling the Sunnis with their government in order to bolster the tactical fight against ISIL and to ensure Iraq does not further destabilize, writes Prof. Ben Connable.
Out of Line: How to Better Protect Airports from Terrorist Attacks
May 2, 2016
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis, Michael A. Brown
In airport security, it's not the size of a potential terrorist bomb that matters most, it's where it detonates. Fortunately, new technologies may present opportunities to get travelers out of line and keep them safe, writes Prof. Henry Willis.
What Makes Stakeholders Want to Become Involved in Research?
May 2, 2016
Thomas W. Concannon @tconcannon, Virginia Kotzias, et al.
Involving stakeholders in comparative-effectiveness research is important, write professors Thomas Concannon and Dmitry Khodyakov. But competing demands for their time can make this a challenge. Why do stakeholders get involved in this research, or not?
Study Finds Most Military Families Are Resilient in Face of Deployment
Apr 22, 2016
Sarah O. Meadows @SarahOMeadows, Benjamin Karney
Although service members, spouses, and their children experience frequent deployments to combat zones throughout the world, Prof. Sarah Meadows writes that a recent study of more than 2,700 military families found that they generally fare well and adapt effectively to the stresses of deployment.
Xi's Purge of the Military Prepares the Chinese Army for Confrontation
Apr 21, 2016
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman, Michael S. Chase
Prof. Michael Chase writes that Xi Jinping is relying on an unprecedented anti-corruption campaign, echoing Mao Zedong's dictum that “the party commands the gun,” and implementing a sweeping reorganization of the PLA to ensure his personal dominance over the military and to strengthen its ability to deter or win future wars.
Regulating Drone Airspace Using 'Smart Markets'
Apr 19, 2016
David Manheim, John F. Raffensperger, et al.
Commercially operated autonomous drones may be on the horizon, especially since Google and Amazon have announced plans to start drone-based parcel delivery in 2017. A policy problem is likely to follow, write student David Manheim (cohort '12) and professors John Raffensperger and Jia Xu.
Ten Years After the Safe Port Act, Are America's Ports Secure?
Apr 6, 2016
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
The economic importance and visibility of America's ports make them attractive terrorism targets, writes Prof. Henry Willis. Port security has improved, but many of the threats that motivated the Safe Ports Act in 2006 remain, and new dangers have emerged, including cyber threats.
A New Tool to Assess the Costs and Effectiveness of Traffic Crash Interventions
Apr 4, 2016
Liisa Ecola, Jeanne S. Ringel @JeanneRingel
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States. Prof. Jeanne Ringel writes that an online tool she developed with student Ben Batorsky (cohort '12) and RAND colleagues can help policymakers understand the available evidence-based interventions that can help prevent crash injuries and deaths, what they will cost, and how effective they will be in their state.
The Police Could Be Controlling Your Self-Driving Car
Apr 4, 2016
Martin C. Libicki
As self-driving cars become widespread, one of the biggest issues will be the rules under which public infrastructures and public safety officers may be empowered to override how autonomous vehicles are controlled, writes Prof. Martin Libicki.
Inciting Peace
Mar 30, 2016
Michael A. Brown, Christopher Paul
Malicious ideas, ideologies, and narratives (such as those promoted by ISIS) cannot just be eliminated — they need to be replaced, writes Prof. Christopher Paul.
The Democratization of Space
Mar 28, 2016
William Welser IV
A new economic model for outer space must account for lower barriers to entry and the involvement of more and more stakeholders, such as developing countries and start-ups, writes Prof. Bill Welser.
Crude Economics, Crude Politics: Who Wins and Who Loses with Cheap Oil?
Feb 26, 2016
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Prof. Charles Wolf asks, What is the outlook for oil prices? And how can we assess the balance between positive effects on national security and negative effects on the national economy?
At the 2016 Oscars, Transgender Health Issues Are in the Spotlight
Feb 26, 2016
Sarah MacCarthy
By inviting “The Danish Girl” to Hollywood's most prestigious awards party, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is helping to shine a spotlight on transgender issues — and reflecting a larger cultural moment at the same time, writes Prof. Sarah MacCarthy.
Why Engineers Need to Be Thinking About Climate Change
Feb 22, 2016
Kenneth Kuhn
As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more common, evacuation routes in coastal areas will become more important. Prof. Kenneth Kuhn says transportation engineers need to be more proactive as they try to anticipate damage to pavement, bridges, and culverts.
How You Can Be Cybersecurity's Strongest Asset
Feb 18, 2016
Sherry Ryan, Lillian Ablon
Technology is thoroughly embedded within the average person's life but security is not emphasized to the general user, writes Prof. Lillian Ablon. Teaching the importance of security early on and continually bringing awareness to the public could help temper technology-based attacks.
Know Zika to Fight Zika
Feb 12, 2016
Melinda Moore
Scientists across universities, governments, and industry are doubling down to gain a better understanding of the Zika virus and develop the diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic tools needed to combat it. In the meantime, writes Prof. Melinda Moore, the public must be actively engaged.
China's Naval Modernization: Where Is It Headed?
Feb 10, 2016
Timothy R. Heath
The PLA Navy is expanding its capabilities and operations to reduce vulnerabilities in China's near seas, but also to aggressively support its expanding global ambitions and challenge U.S. leadership in Asia, according to Prof. Timothy Heath.
Fixing Judicial Recusals
Feb 10, 2016
Kathryn Kuznitsky, James M. Anderson
If judges or justices own stock in the company of a litigant, they must recuse themselves from hearing the case. While these recusals help ensure impartiality at the level of the individual judge, writes Prof. James Anderson, what effect do they have on the pool of judges that hear cases involving publicly held corporations?
Should We Fear an AI Arms Race?
Feb 8, 2016
Andrew J. Lohn @andrewjlohn, Andrew Parasiliti, et al.
Prof. William Welser notes that Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and others have signed a letter calling for a ban on the application of artificial intelligence to advanced weapons systems. AI weapons are not without risks, Welser writes, but the benefits are substantial and the risks can be mitigated with more moderate regulation than a ban.
North Korea Rocket Launch: Why Did Kim Fire a Missile Now?
Feb 8, 2016
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Kim Jong-un is probably seeking clear successes before his important Seventh Party Congress in May, when he wants to appear to be the all-powerful leader of North Korea, writes Prof. (and alum) Bruce Bennett (cohort '75).
A Unique Identifier Could Protect Patient Privacy
Feb 3, 2016
Michael D. Greenberg
The policy debate about unique patient identifier numbers should determine the best approach for reconciling two goals: optimizing the privacy and security of health information and making record matching as close to perfect as is practical, writes Prof. Michael Greenberg.

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