Policy Currents | The latest RAND updates
View in Browser: [link removed]


** RAND RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER MOST
------------------------------------------------------------
Sep 19, 2019

U.S. Workforce Development Needs an Overhaul

Technology. Globalization. Demographic shifts. The American workplace has changed profoundly over the past 40 years. And yet, nearly two decades into the 21st century, the U.S. approach to education, training, and workforce development still runs on a 20th-century model. So what can be done to create a system that will thrive in the 21st century and beyond? A new RAND report envisions a future focused on providing equitable and continuous access to training, and efficiently matching (and rematching) workers and jobs.

Read more: [link removed]


'Stand Your Ground' Laws May Be Causing More Harm Than Good

A recent decision by a jury in Florida has once again brought national attention to the state's "stand your ground" law. Evidence about such laws was reviewed as part of RAND's Gun Policy in America initiative. There is some evidence to help understand whether "stand your ground" laws prevent criminal violence - or exacerbate it. But this is a rare exception. For most gun policies, there is too little scientific evidence to draw any conclusions about their likely effects. This is why we need more research, say RAND experts. Without it, bad laws may be passed or retained under the mistaken belief that they will make people safer.

Read more: [link removed]


Potential Benefits of Economic Integration in the Levant

What would happen if six core countries in the Levant - Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey - signed a comprehensive free trade agreement? According to a new RAND report, the average GDP of these nations would increase by three to seven percent. But achieving economic integration would not be easy. It would require stabilization in Syria, as well as coordination among countries that are often at odds. Want to create your own trade scenario in the region and see the effects? The authors developed an interactive tool that does just that: [link removed]

Read more: [link removed]


Teens Who Vape Are More Likely to Smoke

Last week, the Trump administration announced its plan to remove all non-tobacco flavors of e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol, from the market. And on Tuesday, a similar ban took effect in New York State. These moves come amid growing concern about teen vaping. A recent RAND study found that adolescents who use vaping products are more likely to smoke cigarettes. They're also likely to increase their use of both products over time.

Read more: [link removed]


How Do States Use Cyber Operations to Coerce Others?

A new RAND report examines cyber operations sponsored by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Are they using cyber operations to coerce others? And if so, how? The findings show that espionage - not coercion - remains the predominant purpose of most cyber operations. But Russia and North Korea appear more likely to have used cyber operations as a coercive tool than China and Iran. Going forward, the United States and its partners should develop a richer understanding of cyber coercion - and how to respond to it.

Read more: [link removed]


Is Civic Engagement Related to Health?

A new RAND study offers evidence that improvements in health and well-being are related to increases in civic engagement, through behaviors such as voting and volunteering. There's also evidence to suggest that health and civic engagement make up a reinforcing feedback loop, with better health promoting more civic engagement, and civic engagement promoting better health.

Read more: [link removed]


** EVENTS
------------------------------------------------------------
RAND Behavioral Finance Forum 2019
October 3, 2019 - Washington, D.C.
[link removed]

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Work, Health, and Social Well-Being
October 10, 2019 - Pittsburgh, PA
[link removed]

Career Prospects for People with Criminal Records Symposium
October 15, 2019 - Arlington, VA
[link removed]


** TRENDING REPORTS
------------------------------------------------------------
Law Enforcement Efforts to Fight the Opioid Crisis
[link removed]

Are U.S. Teachers Using High-Quality Instructional Materials?
[link removed]


** RAND IN THE NEWS
------------------------------------------------------------
U.S.-Iran Tensions Rise Over Saudi Attacks
NPR
[link removed]

Michael Rich on the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in U.S. Public Life
Monocle's The Globalist
[link removed]

Why China's Military Wants to Control These Two Waterways in East Asia
The Diplomat
[link removed]


** SUBSCRIBE TO THE POLICY CURRENTS PODCAST
------------------------------------------------------------
You already get the latest insights from RAND in your inbox. Why not your earbuds?

Policy Currents is now available as a weekly podcast. Five minutes, every Friday.

Subscribe now: [link removed]


** FOLLOW RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

[link removed]

Twitter
[link removed]

Facebook
[link removed]

LinkedIn
[link removed]

Instagram
[link removed]


Privacy statement
[link removed]

Unsubscribe
[link removed]

Manage your subscriptions
[link removed]


RAND Corporation
1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401-3208

RAND is a registered trademark.