Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** Oct. 2, 2025
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Young and "Disconnected" in America
About one in seven people ages 18 to 24 in the United States are disconnected, meaning they are not engaging in school, training, or work. That's according to a new RAND paper that explores what the evidence says--and doesn't say--about this phenomenon.
Disconnection has enormous costs for individuals and for society. In the short term, disconnected youth earn about $12,000 less per year than their peers. And over the long term, they are unlikely to be on a path toward economic prosperity.
Who is disconnected? Here are some of the takeaways:
- Overall, young men are more likely to be disconnected than young women.
- But other factors--such as family status, race/ethnicity, and disability status--generally are more important than sex in explaining rates of disconnection.
- Community factors are also important. For example, rates are higher in areas where fewer adult men are employed.
- Young veterans, especially female veterans, have high rates of disconnection.
- Most disconnected youth have at least a high school degree. This suggests that education alone isn't enough to protect young people from disconnection.
So, what might help disconnected youth secure a brighter future? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, the authors write. Addressing this issue will likely require multiple carefully designed policies and programs.
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Why a Saudi-Pakistan Security Deal Matters for India
Last month, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact. The agreement is widely seen as Riyadh's attempt to strengthen nuclear deterrence, hedging against the possibility of an Israeli strike. But the effect on India has received little attention, says RAND's Rafiq Dossani. Importantly, under the pact, any renewed Indian military operation against Pakistan could be interpreted as an attack on Saudi Arabia.
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Revising the Social Contract for the AI Era
As AI promises to shake up the economy and society, it's time to renew the social contract, say RAND experts. They draw on ideas from thinkers who once inspired the U.S. Constitution and that can now be applied in new ways. For example, citizens need modern protections against arbitrary power: transparency about how AI makes decisions, the right to appeal when systems get it wrong, and strict limits on surveillance.
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** RAND Recommends
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- RAND's Christopher Doss weighs in on how deepfakes are spreading medical misinformation online.
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- The United States and Europe have a card to play by crafting a more functional relationship with China in the Arctic, say RAND Europe experts. This could help check Russian power in a vital region.
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** Events
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RAND Europe Foresight Forum
Monday, October 13, 2025 (London)
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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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