Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Aug. 22, 2024
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Election 2024: Preparing for Political Violence
As the U.S. presidential election draws near, the threat of political violence is very real. In fact, says RAND's Brian Michael Jenkins, not since 1968--a year marked by assassinations, division, and widespread rioting--has the threat loomed so large.
Fortunately, there are ways that federal, state, and local officials can safeguard candidates, election workers, voters, and the electoral process at the heart of American democracy.
Authorities can start by collecting intelligence and devising plans for a range of disruptive scenarios, including attacks on candidates, actions aimed at disrupting voting, and attacks on or near polling places.
Full-time election safety task forces could be established to devise responses to such scenarios. State-level "fusion centers"--devoted to assembling, assessing, and communicating threats to key stakeholders--may be another valuable tool.
Steps such as these will go a long way toward making U.S. elections safer. But ending the threat ultimately comes down to the electorate writ large, Jenkins says: "Democracy can only truly be preserved if Americans reject violence and those who promote it."
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Synthetic Biology Could Destabilize the World
If COVID-19 was a test of the world's ability to defend against new pathogens, then humanity failed. That's according to Roger Brent of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, RAND researcher Greg McKelvey, Jr., and RAND president and CEO Jason Matheny, writing in Foreign Affairs. This failure is sobering, they say, because the world is facing a growing number of biological threats. Some of these threats come from nature, but plenty come from scientific advances, including AI. This means that better governance of new technologies will be one key to preventing a mass biological attack--and avoiding existential catastrophe.
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The Problem with AC in a Warming World
Last summer was the hottest on record, and 2024 looks to be hotter still. When temperatures become extreme, air conditioning provides temporary relief and helps prevent illnesses and deaths. But AC is a double-edged sword, says RAND's Lena Easton-Calabria. Most AC units run on electricity generated by burning fossil fuels, leading to more emissions and, consequently, further contributing to higher global temperatures and more frequent heat waves. Sustainable adaptation strategies--such as transitioning to renewable energy sources and building green infrastructure--can help break this dangerous feedback loop.
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** RAND Recommends
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- Watch RAND's Raphael Cohen discuss Secretary of State Blinken's latest visit to the Middle East and the state of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire talks.
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- Russia "should not have been surprised at all" by Ukraine's push into Kursk, RAND's Michael Bohnert said on The Telegraph podcast, "Ukraine: The Latest."
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- In a new paper, RAND researchers explore the connection between household firearm ownership rates and firearm mortality.
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The Math Equity Equation
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Policy Lab: New Evidence for the Effects of U.S. Gun Policies
Thursday, September 26, 2024 (Online)
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