Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Sept. 2, 2025
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Cyberspace Force Readiness: A Path Forward
Calls for a separate military service for cyberspace forces have grown louder in recent years. A new RAND publication explores current challenges to cyberspace readiness, as well as the pros and cons of alternative approaches to organizing, training, equipping, and presenting cyberspace forces--including the establishment of a separate service.
The authors find that military leaders face hundreds of challenges in managing the cyber workforce. These are "real problems" that prevent the Department of Defense from achieving cyberspace readiness, they write. The researchers also note that the current approach won't overcome these challenges: "Trying harder is not a viable option."
The publication outlines several ways to address the root causes of these issues as well as initiatives that could improve the Pentagon's progress toward generating ready cyberspace forces in a sustainable manner.
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How Can Schools Attract, Train, and Retain Principals?
Great principals make schools better. They can improve school climate, increase teacher job satisfaction, and reduce student absenteeism. So how can school districts improve the recruitment of new principals? And what are districts doing to invest in principals' professional development? New RAND survey results offer valuable insights for districts large and small--and for state policymakers tackling the school leadership shortage.
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How AGI Could Reshape National Security
Artificial general intelligence (AI with human- or superhuman-level cognition) isn't science fiction. It's a plausible reality. In a new episode of Policy Minded, RAND's Jim Mitre and Joel Predd discuss five security risks that AGI could bring, including new "wonder weapons" and dramatic shifts in global power. The stakes are high, especially given the uncertainty surrounding AGI, Mitre says. It's vital that the national security community not "stumble into a [post-AGI] world analytically bankrupt."
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** More from Our Podcast
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Policy Minded picks the brains of the world's top policy experts. Other recent episodes have covered why it's so expensive to build housing in California, preventing catastrophe in outer space, and countering China in the Indo-Pacific. Subscribe today.
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** RAND Recommends
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- Your pick: For the second straight week, the most-clicked feature was this roundup of five charts that explain the state of U.S. public education.
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- In Newsweek, RAND's Bruce Bennett discusses North Korea's instability and how it may complicate U.S. deterrence strategy.
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- AI chatbots are becoming de facto digital therapists for many teenagers. RAND's Ryan McBain discusses the safety risks--and how to address them--in the New York Times.
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** Events
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China's Economic Future
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 (London)
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Can Europe Deter Russia?
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 (Online)
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The State of Apprenticeship in West Virginia
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 (Online)
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