Blog Posts by Pardee RAND Faculty

Student-Prof Commentary: City Diplomacy Has Been on the Rise. Policies Are Finally Catching Up
Nov 22, 2019
Rafiq Dossani, Sohaela Amiri
Cities are not signing international treaties, nor do they have embassies around the world, write Sohaela Amiri (cohort '16) and Professor Rafiq Dossani. But cities can engage in all kinds of negotiations, reach agreements, and influence world politics. The State Department could tap into this power to further enhance U.S. diplomacy, global image, and influence.
Professor Ponders, Did No One Audit the Apple Card Algorithm?
Nov 21, 2019
Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba
Complex, opaque technologies like AI, machine learning and other algorithm systems provide significant benefits to society, writes Professor Osonde Osoba. They help speed up complex decisions, enable wider access to services, and in many cases make better decisions than humans. But those benefits do not obviate the need for accountability and transparency.
Saving Farmworkers from Slavery-Like Conditions, Field by Field
Sep 5, 2019
Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis
Those at the bottom of the European agricultural supply chain are vulnerable to horrible abuse. But Dean Susan Marquis explains that the same was true in the tomato fields of Florida in the United States until not too many years ago, and the solution developed there may offer a roadmap for doing right by those who put food on the market shelves.
Augmented Reality on the Playground
Jul 10, 2019
Deborah A. Cohen @DrDebCohen
As children's screen time increases, their time spent outdoors decreases. Prof. Deborah Cohen asks, how might new technologies merge with nature to help kids get outside and be more active?
Federal Policy Might Encourage Innovation to Cut the Cost of College
Jun 5, 2019
Charles A. Goldman
A big factor in the rise of college costs is the traditional seat-time model requiring undergraduate students to spend a specified amount of time in classrooms, frequently with doctorally qualified faculty. Prof. Charles Goldman argues that alternative models such as online education could enable colleges and universities to offer degrees more efficiently and affordably.
Getting to Know the Competition
May 13, 2019
Cortez A. Cooper III
Americans are facing a new reality in global great power relations that will define the trajectory of U.S. foreign policy for the foreseeable future. Prof. Cortez Cooper argues that understanding China's threat perceptions, while remaining clear-eyed regarding differences in objectives, is essential to developing strategies to deter conflict.
(Grey's) Anatomy of an Opioid Crisis
Apr 8, 2019
Sarah MacCarthy, Bradley D. Stein @BradleyDStein
More than 130 Americans die every day after overdosing on opioids. So when one of the most popular shows on network television made opioid misuse a major plotline, alum Bradley Stein (cohort '97) and Prof. Sarah MacCarthy paid especially rapt attention to how the show would present this public health crisis. How closely would it mirror reality? Pretty closely, for the narrow slice of the opioid crisis it addressed.
Addressing Surprise Medical Bills Without Raising the Cost of Health Care
Apr 1, 2019
Erin L. Duffy, Mark W. Friedberg, et al.
Patients who try to stay within their insurers' networks can be hit with surprise bills when they unknowingly receive care from out-of-network physicians. Erin Duffy (cohort '15) and Profs. Chapin White and Mark Friedberg ask how much a physician should be paid for providing a service that is critical but rendered without the patient's ready ability to choose an in-network provider.
How to Ensure Quality Drinking Water Service for All? One Option Is Fewer Utilities.
Mar 26, 2019
David Catt, Michelle E. Miro, et al.
California's Human Right to Water Bill declares that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water.” One clear barrier to reaching this target is the sheer number of small water utilities that pose service sustainability and public health risks to their customers.
Lessening Leakages: How Water Systems Can Learn From Smart Electric Grids
Mar 22, 2019
Jalal Awan, Michelle E. Miro, et al.
As drought and population growth place increasing pressure on water supply, the need to save and efficiently manage Southern California's water resources becomes increasingly critical. Student Jalal Awan (cohort 17) and professors Miriam Marlier and Michelle Miro suggest that a single information and communication technology platform could go a long way toward moving water utilities from reactive to proactive maintenance practices.
Increasing Groundwater Reliance in L.A. County Means Dealing with Extensive Contamination
Mar 12, 2019
Alexandra Huttinger, Michelle E. Miro, et al.
Advances in the information available on groundwater quality and contamination could help community water systems avoid health hazards and better ensure a safe drinking water supply, write Alexandra Huttinger (cohort '17) and professors Michelle Miro and Miriam Marlier.
The Promise and Perils of AI: Q&A with Douglas Yeung
Feb 27, 2019
Prof. Douglas Yeung, a social psychologist at RAND, discusses how any technology reflects the values, norms, and biases of its creators. Bias in artificial intelligence could have unintended consequences. He also warns that cyber attackers could deliberately introduce bias into AI systems.
Biology, in the Language of the People
Feb 21, 2019
Timothy Marler, Dona Odell
As technology and the ability to gather ever-growing amounts of data move further into the realms of biology and human performance, Prof. Tim Marler writes, communication and transparency become increasingly important. Scientists should consider whether they are using the words, examples, and models that connect with a broad audience most effectively.
Engagement with North Korea: Small Steps May Matter More Than Big Ones
Feb 21, 2019
Rafiq Dossani, Heejin Kim
Kim Jong-Un has said he wants North Korea to become a normal country. Heejin Kim (cohort '18) and Prof. Rafiq Dossani say that agreeing to a series of short-term measures could reveal his truthfulness as much as large measures could. This could also pave the way to eventually achieving the larger goals.
Does the United States Face an AI Ethics Gap?
Jan 11, 2019
Benjamin Boudreaux
The view that the United States is in an artificial intelligence (AI) arms race suggests an AI ethics gap. Prof. Benjamin Boudreaux says the U.S. may face a higher ethical hurdle than its adversaries when developing and deploying AI in military contexts. But, he adds, the gap could be a source of U.S. strength in building international partnerships.
Data Breaches Could Cause Users to Opt Out of Sharing Personal Data. Then What?
Dec 28, 2018
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
As tech-based systems have become all but indispensable, many institutions might assume user data will be reliable, meaningful and, most of all, plentiful. Prof. Doug Yeung asks, what if this data became unreliable, meaningless, or even scarce?
Can Innovative Financing by the Public and Private Sectors Build on Momentum in Energy Efficiency Improvements for Affordable Multifamily Housing?
Dec 12, 2018
Lisa Jonsson, Aimee E. Curtright @ACurtright
Nearly one in three American households in 2015 reported difficulty paying their energy bills or sustaining adequate home heating and cooling. Student Lisa Jonsson (cohort '14) and Prof. Aimee Curtright find that emerging models of energy services and financing show promise and could identify creative ways to increase access to funding that could preserve and improve home affordability for millions of Americans.
When Cyber Attacks Occur, Who Should Investigate?
Dec 6, 2018
John S. Davis II, Jonathan William Welburn @jwwelburn, et al.
Data breaches and cyberattacks cross geopolitical boundaries, targeting individuals, corporations and governments. Professors John Davis, Ben Boudreaux, and Jair Aguirre argue that creating a global body with a narrow focus on investigating and assigning responsibility for cyberattacks could be the first step to creating a digital world with accountability.
A Threat to Immigrant Health Care with Potential Consequences for All
Oct 12, 2018
Kathryn Pitkin Derose
The proposed changes to the “public charge” rule could jeopardize decades of progress towards improved health care access and health for immigrants and U.S. citizens. Prof. Kathryn Pitkin Derose says negative effects may include worse health outcomes, increased use of emergency rooms, and increased prevalence of communicable diseases.
A Better Way to Think About Scooters
Aug 28, 2018
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert, Tim McDonald, et al.
Unleashed in Santa Monica last September, Bird and its competitors are now in more than 30 American cities—and are being met with new regulations and increased law enforcement. Student Tim McDonald (cohort '16) and Prof. Rob Lempert write that, if officials rely only on 20th-century tools to integrate these 21st-century scooters into their cities, they will miss a big opportunity.
Keeping Artificial Intelligence Accountable to Humans
Aug 20, 2018
Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are often only as intelligent—and as fair—as the data used to train them. Prof. Osonde Osoba explains that, for AI that can free humans from bias instead of reinforcing bias, experts and regulators will need to think more deeply not only about what AI can do, but what it should do—and then teach it how.
Understanding the Impact of the Elimination of the Individual Mandate Penalty
Aug 10, 2018
Christine Eibner @Chrissyeibner, Sarah A. Nowak
Starting in 2019, the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate penalty will be eliminated, effectively ending the law's requirement that most people have health insurance. Profs. Christine Eibner and Sarah Nowak write that, while declines in coverage and increases in premiums are likely, the magnitudes of these effects are highly uncertain.
Downloadable Guns and Other 3-D Printing Security Threats
Jul 31, 2018
Troy D. Smith @troy_d_smith, Trevor Johnston, et al.
Americans may soon be able to legally access blueprints for 3D-printed guns. But the growing opposition to them shows that potential security threats do not have to be inevitable, write student Luke Irwin (cohort '16) and professors Troy Smith and Trevor Johnston. The security challenges inherent in 3D printing could be addressed, while the development of industry norms can still be shaped.
Suggestions to Help EPA Successfully Implement Retrospective Reviews
Jul 19, 2018
Benjamin M. Miller
The EPA's interest in including a systematic retrospective review element in new regulation has the potential to provide a transparent and well-structured method for assessing which decisions worked well and which didn't, writes Prof. Benjamin Miller. If successful, it could serve as a role model for other regulatory agencies.
Politics in India—Not Business as Usual
Jun 19, 2018
Rafiq Dossani
India's ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has suffered recent, self-inflicted electoral setbacks, writes Prof. Rafiq Dossani. But it is still the best-organized and richest political party in the country. Can opposing alliances defeat the BJP?