Skip to page content

National Security and Terrorism

Featured

RAND conducts a broad array of national security research for the U.S. Department of Defense and allied ministries of defense. Our federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) explore threat assessment, military acquisition, technology, recruitment and personnel management, counterinsurgency, intelligence, and readiness. RAND is a world leader in terrorism research. Studies address such topics as terrorism financing and strategies to undermine violent extremism.

Report
U.S.-China Rivalry in a Neomedieval World
The neomedieval era, which began around 2000, is characterized by weakening states, fragmenting societies, imbalanced economies, and informalized warfare. What do these conditions mean for competition—and potential conflict—between the United States and China?
Jun 6, 2023
Report
Countering Violent Nonstate Actor Financing
How do violent nonstate actors finance their operations? What do they use this financing for? And what can the U.S. Army do to disrupt these efforts?
May 16, 2023

Topics in Focus:

Explore National Security and Terrorism

By Category
All Subtopics
All Authors

Report
Exploring Differences in Organizational Culture Within the Department of Defense
The authors of this report analyzed the organizational culture of communities within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to understand how the current culture could be characterized and how DoD's culture varies within the department.
Jun 22, 2023
Report
Simulating Chinese Gray Zone Coercion of Taiwan: Identifying Redlines and Escalation Pathways
This paper shares the results of an exercise hosted by the RAND Corporation to explore the risk of escalation from Chinese activities in the gray zone to conventional war. The results showed an overall low risk of Taiwanese escalation.
Jun 22, 2023
Commentary
The AI Conspiracy Theories Are Coming
Artificial intelligence is a technology ready-made for conspiratorial thinking. The time to counter conspiracy theories about AI is now—before they take hold in the minds of the public.
Jun 22, 2023
Commentary
Revive the Ram
In the face of aggressive maneuvers by Chinese vessels, the U.S. Navy can brandish ramming USVs as a capability to inhibit threats while limiting the risk of escalation. These relatively simple, inexpensive vehicles could be used alongside a variety of nonlethal weapons to manage confrontations, giving commanders more options as they attempt to prevent China from dominating the seas.
Jun 22, 2023
Journal Article
Terrorism, Dynamic Commitment Problems, and Military Conflict
Why do states initiate costly wars when the risk posed by terrorism appears marginal? We present two explanations and empirical evidence.
Jun 21, 2023
Commentary
How to Reform and Reconstruct Ukraine After the War
Hostilities in Ukraine are ongoing, but it is not too early to consider post-war reconstruction. Indeed, the United States and Europe have already begun planning what will probably be the most ambitious post-war rebuilding effort in modern history.
Jun 21, 2023
Report
Great-Power Competition and Conflict in Latin America
This report explores the potential for competition and conflict among the United States, China, and Russia in Latin America; where competition might turn into conflict; what form that conflict might take; and the implications for the United States.
Jun 20, 2023
Commentary
How Should the U.S. Government Buy AI Tools?
The need for AI-readiness in federal procurement will continue to grow with the capabilities of AI tools. There are concrete steps the government could take to ensure all development and implementation of AI-related laws, regulations, and executive branch policies include appropriate considerations.
Jun 20, 2023
Report
Language, Labels, and the DHS Lexicon: Analysis to Support a More-Inclusive Lexicon for Securing the Homeland
The authors analyze U.S. Department of Homeland Security documentation, processes, and procedures and then identify ways to improve them and to create an organizational culture that supports the lasting implementation of more-inclusive terminology.
Jun 19, 2023
Commentary
How Not to Help Ukraine
Good strategy involves clearly defining your objectives (ends), developing practical methods to accomplish them (ways), and then allocating sufficient resources (means) to turn these objectives and methods into reality. The debate over congressional support for Ukraine aid largely revolves around means. But what of the other two legs of the strategic triad?
Jun 17, 2023
Blog
Reconstructing Ukraine, Wildfires, Telehealth: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on reconstructing Ukraine, what to do about wildfires, virtual mental health care services, and more.
Jun 16, 2023
Report
Reconstructing Ukraine: Creating a Freer, More Prosperous, and Secure Future
Ukraine's reconstruction may be the largest rebuilding effort in modern history and it's not too early to start planning. Recovery will require an end to the fighting, but ultimate success hinges on a U.S.-European partnership and the establishment of durable post-war security arrangements.
Jun 14, 2023
Testimony
Geographic Availability of Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Veterans
Far too many Americans, and especially veterans, fail to receive treatment for substance use disorder. Improved data collection on the availability and accessibility of treatment could help increase the number of veterans who get treatment and prevent unnecessary drug overdose deaths.
Jun 14, 2023
News Release
Successful Reconstruction of Ukraine Will Depend on Early Action, Bipartisan U.S. Effort, and U.S.-Europe Partnership
Durable Ukrainian reconstruction will require an end to the fighting, but ultimate success hinges on a U.S.-Europe partnership and the establishment of effective post-war security arrangements.
Jun 14, 2023
Commentary
Ukraine Is a Breeding Ground for Russian PMCs
Moscow's desire for additional fighters in Ukraine has created a breeding ground for Russian private military company (PMC) development. This explosion of what are essentially private armies is not only shaping the battlefield in Ukraine; it could have devastating impacts long after this conflict ends.
Jun 14, 2023
Commentary
How Might Ukraine's Counteroffensive End, and What Comes After?
Ukraine may soon launch a counteroffensive against Russian forces entrenched in eastern and southern Ukraine. We consider three ways this counteroffensive might end and their implications for the future.
Jun 14, 2023
Report
Managing Military Personnel Costs: Operation Retrenchment Specter, A Workforce Futures Game
To weigh options in managing military personnel costs, the U.S. Air Force explores trade-offs in a workforce futures policy game that simulates the monetary and nonmonetary effects of workforce and personnel policies in real time.
Jun 13, 2023
Report
Toward a Unified Multiscale Computational Model of the Human Body's Immediate Responses to Blast-Related Trauma: Proceedings and Expert Findings from a U.S. Department of Defense International State-of-the-Science Meeting
These proceedings describe the tenth U.S. Department of Defense International State-of-the-Science Meeting on Blast Injury Research, where experts discussed innovations in multiscale modeling of the human body's response to blast-related trauma.
Jun 13, 2023
Report
Advancing Equitable Decisionmaking for the Department of Defense Through Fairness in Machine Learning
This report provides policymakers and developers of machine learning algorithms with a framework and tools to produce algorithms that are consistent with the U.S. Department of Defense's equity priorities.
Jun 13, 2023
Report
Promising Strategies to Support Justice-Involved Veterans
Veterans make up about eight percent of the 2.2 million people incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons. On top of this, an unknown number of veterans have had contact with the criminal justice system. What policies and programs can better support these individuals?
Jun 12, 2023

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next

RAND Topic:
National Security and Terrorism

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

James A. Leftwich

Senior Management Scientist

James (Jim/Lefty) Leftwich is a senior management scientist at the RAND Corporation. His research at RAND focuses on logistics command and control, combat support, operations and logistics planning, and strategic development planning. His research in command and control and combat support has…
John V. Parachini

Senior International and Defense Researcher, former Director of RAND National Defense Research Institute's Intelligence Policy Center

John Parachini (he, him, his) is a senior international and defense researcher, former director of the RAND Intelligence Policy Center, and a member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty. His primary areas of research include intelligence, counterterrorism, weapons proliferation, and…

Explore Our People »