Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Feb. 29, 2024
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A Primer on America's Border Crisis

As both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump visit the southern U.S. border today, it's clear that the migrant crisis will be a leading issue in the 2024 elections.

In a new Q&A, RAND's Elina Treyger and Shelly Culbertson break down this complex problem. They discuss who's arriving at the border and why, how the asylum process works (and why the asylum system is buckling), the policy changes leaders are considering, and more.

Treyger and Culbertson emphasize that the focus on the border distracts from a wider crisis: America's immigration system is outdated. A holistic update to U.S. immigration laws may be politically challenging, they say, but such an overhaul is likely the key to reducing the number of daily arrivals at the border and easing the burden on communities that host migrants.

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High Schools Offer Uneven Access to Math Courses

Achievement in mathematics is important for long-term college and career success. But many students--especially those who are Black, Hispanic, or from low-income households--do not have access to advanced math courses such as trigonometry or calculus. This may be in part because of the way that many schools place students in math classes. According to a new RAND study, more than half of high school principals say that their students are grouped into math courses by achievement level--a practice called tracking. Although tracking can make scheduling simpler and may be used to ensure that students are learning appropriately challenging content, research has shown that it's not always implemented equitably.

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Cooperating with Allies and Partners for AI Success

By working with allies and partners to develop AI applications, the United States could expand the data available to train algorithms and deepen the pool of talent that can work on them. RAND's James Ryseff identifies three keys to addressing challenges that might prevent AI cooperation: First, identify a concrete use case for cooperating on AI, such as enhancing cyber defenses. Second, ensure that governments--rather than contractors--maintain ownership of data used to train AI algorithms. Finally, consider establishing a secure unclassified cloud computing environment that's jointly funded by and operated with U.S. allies and partners.

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** RAND Recommends
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- In his annual state of the nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any deployment of Western troops in Ukraine would have "tragic" consequences. Last week, we released a short video highlighting scenarios that might lead to Russian escalation.
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- RAND's Zachary Wagner spoke to NPR about why an inexpensive and effective treatment for childhood diarrhea is underused.
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- Because of partisan gridlock, the United States is on the verge of an "enormous strategic blunder" in the Indo-Pacific, writes RAND's Derek Grossman in Nikkei Asia.
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** Events
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The U.S.-Japan Alliance: Realizing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Friday, March 1, 2024 (Los Angeles, California, and Online)
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U.S. Armed Forces in the Arctic: Understanding Operating Capabilities in a Challenging Region
Tuesday, March 5, 2024 (Washington, D.C., and Online)
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Policy Lab: Understanding Climate Science and the Pursuit of Climate Equity
Thursday, March 14, 2024 (Online)
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