Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Jan. 18, 2024
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Stackable Credentials: Making College Work for More Students

Colleges across the United States have invested tens of millions of dollars in credential-stacking programs, which allow students to earn a series of credentials over time that lead to a degree or certificate. These programs often promise to help low-income students chart a path to the middle class. But do they deliver?

A recent RAND study showed that low-income students are more likely to stack credentials than middle- and high-income students. Those low-income students who built up credentials over time sharply reduced the earnings gap with their more-advantaged peers.

This data is promising, but there are caveats. The best outcomes were seen when students built up credentials--for example, earning a certificate and then stacking even more credentials for an associate's degree. On the other hand, if they simply collected credentials to earn a series of shorter-term certificates, then there was no meaningful increase in earnings. Further, stackable credentials are most valuable in certain fields, such as nursing and manufacturing.

With more knowledge about what makes these programs effective, colleges can provide students with more up-front information about the value of different credentials--and invest in programs that can help more students succeed.

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What to Expect After Taiwan's Elections

Last weekend, Taiwan elected the Democratic Progressive Party to a third consecutive term, elevating current vice president William Lai Ching-te to the highest office. However, the parliamentary vote was split; no party has a majority. RAND's Raymond Kuo explains what's behind Taiwanese voters' decisions, the "thorny" domestic challenges that may lie ahead, and why Chinese coercion is likely to increase in the wake of the election. "Taiwan-China relations will only get worse," he says.

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Treat Psychedelics Like Cannabis?

More than half of Americans now live in states that have passed laws allowing commercial production and retail sales of cannabis to adults for nonmedical purposes. Some decisionmakers view this as a useful template for liberalizing laws focused on psychedelics, such as "magic" mushrooms. But psychedelics are very different substances than cannabis, say RAND experts. When it comes to legalization, decisionmakers will need to thoughtfully consider multiple choices related to psychedelic use, supply, and regulation--and the effects of those choices.

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** RAND Recommends
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- RAND's Alexandra Stark spoke to the BBC World Service about how to reduce tensions in Yemen and across the region. She stressed the need for a sustainable solution in Gaza--and in Yemen's ongoing civil war.
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- RAND president and CEO Jason Matheny submitted testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He outlined the costs and benefits of restricting U.S. investments in foreign technology firms based in or owned by strategic competitors.
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- In Foreign Policy, RAND's Raphael Cohen wrote about Israelis' relationship with their military and how the Israel Defense Forces differs from the U.S. military.
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** Events
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Not the X-Files: Where Are Americans Reporting UFOs?
Thursday, January 25, 2024 (Online)
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Reforming DoD's Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution Process for a Competitive Future
Thursday, February 8, 2024 (Online)
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