RAND Congressional Briefing Series

RAND Corporation

The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision making through research and analysis. RAND Congressional Briefings connect RAND experts with lawmakers, legislative staff, and respected opinion leaders on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to present findings and recommendations on issues relevant to the current policy debate. For more about RAND, visit www.rand.org.

Episodes

Built to Last: Planning and Funding Resilient Infrastructure

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.

Dec 17, 2019

27 min

Preparing for the Future of Fentanyl

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.

Sep 26, 2019

26 min

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

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.

Jul 2, 2019

27 min

Approaches to Counter Russian Social Media Influence

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.

Mar 28, 2019

23 min

What Are the Potential Impacts of Single-Payer Health Care?

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.

Feb 1, 2019

22 min

Protecting Consumer Data: Considerations for Congress

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.

Jun 8, 2018

25 min

Overcoming the Threats of Our Strategic Competitors

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.

Mar 27, 2018

31 min

Fixing What's Broken with Infrastructure Policy: Options for Congress

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.

Jan 24, 2018

30 min

Equifax and the Data-Breach Era: How Worried Should We Be?

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?

Oct 26, 2017

31 min

North Korea's Continuous Provocations

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.

Jul 17, 2017

31 min