RAND Corporation: Policy Update May 10, 2022

 

POLICY UPDATE National Security and Terrorism May 10, 2022
Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters
Geostrategic Consequences of Russia's War Against Ukraine After two months of fighting in Ukraine, some longer-term geostrategic consequences are coming into focus. Russia may emerge as a massive loser. Perhaps not since the collapse of the USSR has European security been so challenged. But Ukraine and its Western partners are showing that aggression in Europe may not pay. Read more »

Reports and Journal Articles

Photo by South_agency/Getty Images Assessing Burnout Among Military Health Care Providers Health care provider burnout poses a threat to mental and behavioral health care for service members, veterans, and their families. How prevalent is burnout? What workplace factors are associated with increased risk for burnout? And what interventions could help? Read more »

Image by Alexey Novikov/Adobe Stock Response Options to Cyberattacks on U.S. Government Networks The United States has proved vulnerable to cyber incidents, and a lack of response has emboldened Russia and China to expand their cyber espionage activities. Have U.S. responses changed over time or affected adversary behavior? What lessons do these cases offer for future policymaking? Read more »

Photo by U.S. Army How to Improve Long-Term Outcomes for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment for veterans with TBI has improved since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began. But today's veteran population is more diverse than ever, and improving outcomes requires a better understanding of how TBI affects veterans' lives over the long term, what they may need as they age, and effective treatments. Read more »

Photo by Scott Howe/U.S. Department of Defense Challenges of Deploying Ground-Based Intermediate-Range Missiles on Allied Lands The United States has been hoping to develop and deploy ground-based intermediate-range missiles to the Indo-Pacific. But what is the likelihood of its treaty allies in the region—Australia, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand—hosting these systems? Are there alternatives to permanent basing? Read more »

Blog Posts

Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters Preparing for a Cyberattack Starts at the Local Level The ongoing Russian war in Ukraine has highlighted the need for federal, state, and local level emergency managers to prepare to respond to a cyberattack with widespread impacts that significantly disrupt critical infrastructure. Read more »

Photo by Shannon Fagan/Getty Images How to Avoid Extremism on Social Media Extremist groups have been trolling the internet for decades, and they have learned to temper their words and disguise their intentions. A new scorecard can help users—or parents, or advertisers, or the social media companies themselves—understand when they might be interacting with extremist content. Read more »

Photo by Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters Rebuilding Ukraine By leveraging better investment conditions and reforms and broad international support, Ukraine could carry out a well-executed reconstruction program once the fighting ends. It might repair much of the war damage and help Ukraine move into the ranks of faster-growing European economies. Read more »

Photo by Maryna Petrenko-Shvets/Getty Images Reopening Old Wounds: Two Stories, One Lesson The shocking events unfolding in Ukraine serve as a vivid reminder to two RAND researchers of the profoundly human consequences tied to the strategic level of decision making they study and weigh in on each day. Read more »

Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters The Escalation Fixation Fears of global nuclear annihilation should have produced a concerted effort by all sides to keep the Ukraine conflict limited. But the focus on escalation—rather than ensuring Russia's defeat—has instead made the international security picture more precarious. Read more »

Photo by imaginima/Getty Images U.S. Decision on ASAT Testing a Positive Step Towards Space Sustainability The United States recently committed not to conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing. This sets an important example others might follow and takes an important first step towards a binding, international ban. Read more »

Photo by Cpl. Thomas Spencer/U.S. Marine Corps Effective Use of Nonlethal Weapons Could Require Combating Disinformation The temporary and reversible effects of nonlethal weapons reduce the potential for collateral damage while mitigating the risk of inadvertent escalation in peacetime and gray-zone situations. But public perceptions can have powerful effects on how these systems are employed and the impact of their use. Read more »

Photo by Staff Sgt. Adriana M. Diaz-Brown/U.S. Army The Value of Institutional Capacity Building Through Professional Military Education Security cooperation rarely makes headlines. But it enhances the security of the United States and its allies and partners in an effective and cost-effective way, and may deserve more attention and support. Read more »

Multimedia

Photo by Gleb Garanich/Reuters What Does Putin Want in Ukraine? RAND senior political scientists Samuel Charap and Stephen J. Flanagan discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategic goals in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Read more »

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