Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Sept. 16, 2025
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What Everyone Can Do to Help Prevent Political Violence
In the wake of last week's assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk--the latest in a string of high-profile attacks targeting public figures from across the ideological spectrum--there are widespread fears about further political violence. Although Americans overwhelmingly reject political violence, the risk of future attacks remains.
RAND's John Hollywood outlines practical steps that all Americans can focus on to prevent such incidents:
- Understand the warning signs. Look for signals of real commitment to carrying out an attack. Motivation and preparation are concrete steps toward violence.
- Know how to report suspicious activity. For imminent threats, call 911. State and regional tip lines are also a key resource.
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- Resist the pull of fear, rage, and terror. These feelings spread rampantly online and may overhype risks without contributing to solutions.
These collective actions can help ensure that acts of violence do not define America's future. "The nation's strength lies in its ability to confront political violence not with despair," says Hollywood, "but with resolve and unity."
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How to Scale Up AI in Government
AI could help transform governance and policy implementation. But so far, state and local governments' efforts to implement AI tools have been "piecemeal and slow," say RAND's Joie Acosta and Sara Hughes, "leaving many practitioners struggling to keep up." Fortunately, there are actions that governments can take to scale up the use of AI and unlock its benefits. These include clearly tracking current AI use, identifying funding streams, and training the workforce on AI skills.
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The West and Russia: History Repeats Itself
U.S. relations with Russia today are roughly where they were during the tense early 1980s, according to RAND's William Courtney and Michael Cecire. Washington and the rest of the West face challenges in deterring Russian nuclear use, containing risks, and seeking limited cooperation with Moscow. Meanwhile, Russia continues to show little interest in genuine negotiation and retains a "hostile or at best zero-sum stance" toward the West.
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- In this short video, RAND's David Ochmanek discusses what it means to rethink the American way of war.
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** Events
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Can Europe Deter Russia?
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 (Online)
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RAND Europe Foresight Forum
Monday, October 13, 2025 (London)
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The State of Apprenticeship in West Virginia
Wednesday, September 24, 2025 (Online)
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China's Economic Future
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 (London)
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An Examination of Migration in Afghanistan
Wednesday, October 22, 2025 (Online)
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The 'Big Shift' from Hospitals to Communities
Thursday, November 6, 2025 (Online)
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** Policy Minded, RAND's Flagship Podcast
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On Policy Minded, we pick the brains of the world's top policy experts. In each episode, RAND researchers join us for conversations that go beyond the headlines--bringing you insights you can't find anywhere else.
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