RAND Congressional Briefing Series

Latest Episodes:

Built to Last: Planning and Funding Resilient Infrastructure Dec 17, 2019

Show notes

Debra Knopman and Sarah Weilant provide an overview of a December 6th congressional briefing on how federal transportation projects can incorporate resilience into infrastructure planning.

Preparing for the Future of Fentanyl Sep 26, 2019

Show notes

Bryce Pardo and Beau Kilmer provide an overview of a September 13th congressional briefing. They discuss the various factors contributing to opioid overdose crisis in the United States.

Principal Pipelines: A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way to Improve Schools Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

A recent RAND report found that implementing "principal pipelines"—a strategic approach to the hiring, preparation, evaluation, and support of school leaders—can improve schools. In this congressional briefing, Susan Gates discusses the feasibility, effectiveness, and affordability of principal pipelines.

Approaches to Counter Russian Social Media Influence Mar 28, 2019

Show notes

Elizabeth Bodine-Baron discusses the challenges facing current measures underway by Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to combat this threat; proposed approaches, as well as unintended consequences and drawbacks; and recommendations for policymakers.

What Are the Potential Impacts of Single-Payer Health Care? Feb 01, 2019

Show notes

Jodi Liu discusses key characteristics of single-payer health care proposals and their potential impact; common misconceptions and areas of uncertainty; and plan details and implementation decisions that would affect impacts, including the cost of care, changes in total spending, and provider payment.

Protecting Consumer Data: Considerations for Congress Jun 08, 2018

Show notes

Rebecca Balebako and John S. Davis discuss the benefits and risks of data sharing, opportunities for protecting privacy at both the personal and industry level, current U.S. laws and how they compare to European laws, and policy options for Congress.

Overcoming the Threats of Our Strategic Competitors Mar 27, 2018

Show notes

David Ochmanek discusses challenges posed to U.S. force planning by China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Salafist-Jihadi groups; and weapon systems and posture enhancements that could potentially overcome those challenges.

Fixing What's Broken with Infrastructure Policy: Options for Congress Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

An infrastructure bill is on the agenda for Congress, but what problems would it fix? In this RAND Congressional Briefing, Debra Knopman discusses policies that promote and deter investment and maintenance of water and transportation infrastructure.

Equifax and the Data-Breach Era: How Worried Should We Be? Oct 26, 2017

Show notes

Large-scale data breaches like those of Equifax and OPM compromised the personal data of millions of people. What can be done to improve the response to such breaches?

North Korea's Continuous Provocations Jul 17, 2017

Show notes

In this July 17th, 2017 congressional briefing, Bruce W. Bennett, Senior International/Defense Researcher, discusses North Korea's nuclear missile programs, its changing relationship with China, and implications for U.S. policy.