RAND Corporation

Coordinates: 34°00′35″N 118°29′26″W / 34.009599°N 118.490670°W / 34.009599; -118.490670
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Rand Corporation
)
Not to be confused with
Sperry Rand
.
"RAND" redirects here. For other uses, see Rand (disambiguation).

RAND Corporation
PredecessorSpin-off of Project RAND, a former partnership between Douglas Aircraft Company and the United States Air Force until incorporation as a nonprofit and gaining independence from both.
FormationMay 14, 1948; 75 years ago (1948-05-14)
Founders
TypeGlobal policy
public sector consulting firm[1]
95-1958142
Legal statusNonprofit corporation
Purpose
HeadquartersSanta Monica, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°00′35″N 118°29′26″W / 34.009599°N 118.490670°W / 34.009599; -118.490670
Region
Worldwide
President and CEO
Jason Gaverick Matheny[2]
RAND Leadership
  • Jennifer Gould
  • Andrew R. Hoehn
  • Mike Januzik
  • Eric Peltz
  • Melissa Rowe
  • Robert M. Case[2]
President, RAND Europe
Hans Pung[2]
SubsidiariesRAND Europe
Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School
AffiliationsIndependent
Revenue
Increase $390 million (2023)[4]
DisbursementsNumerous
ExpensesIncrease $427 million (2023)[5]
Endowment$288.7 million (2023)[6]
Staff
1,900 (2023)[7]
Websitewww.rand.org

The RAND Corporation is an American

public sector consulting firm. RAND Corporation engages in research and development
(R&D) across multiple fields and industries. Since the 1950s, RAND research has helped inform United States policy decisions on a wide variety of issues, including the space race, the Vietnam War, the U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms confrontation, the creation of the Great Society social welfare programs, and national health care.

The RAND Corporation originated as "Project RAND" (from the phrase "research and development") in the postwar period immediately after World War II.[8][9] The United States Army Air Forces established Project RAND with the objective of investigating long-range planning of future weapons.[10] Douglas Aircraft Company was granted a contract to research intercontinental warfare.[10] Project RAND later evolved into the RAND Corporation, and expanded its research into civilian fields such as education and international affairs.[11] It was the first think tank to be regularly referred to as a "think tank".[1]

RAND receives both public and private funding. Its funding sources include the

state and local governments, international organizations, and to a small extent, by foreign governments.[13][14]

Overview

RAND has approximately 1,850 employees. Its American locations include:

Arlington, Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Boston, Massachusetts.[15] The RAND Gulf States Policy Institute has an office in New Orleans, Louisiana. RAND Europe is located in Cambridge, United Kingdom; Brussels, Belgium; and Rotterdam, Netherlands.[16] RAND Australia is located in Canberra, Australia.[17]

RAND is home to the Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School, one of eight original graduate programs in public policy and the first to offer a PhD. The program aims to provide practical experience for students, who work with RAND analysts on addressing real-world problems. The campus is at RAND's Santa Monica research facility. The Pardee RAND School is the world's largest PhD-granting program in policy analysis.[18]

Unlike many other programs, all Pardee RAND Graduate School students receive fellowships to cover their education costs. This allows them to dedicate their time to engage in research projects and provides them with on-the-job training.[18] RAND also offers a number of internship and fellowship programs allowing students and others to assist in conducting research for RAND projects. Most of these are short-term independent projects mentored by a RAND staff member.[19]

RAND publishes the

RAND Journal of Economics, a peer-reviewed journal of economics.[20]

Thirty-two recipients of the Nobel Prize, primarily in the fields of economics and physics, have been associated with RAND at some point in their career.[21][22]

History

Project RAND

RAND was created after individuals in the

ongoing demobilization meant the federal government was about to lose direct control of the vast amount of American scientific brainpower assembled to fight World War II.[23]

As soon as Arnold realized Collbohm had been thinking along similar lines, he said, "I know just what you're going to tell me. It's the most important thing we can do."[24] With Arnold's blessing, Collbohm quickly pulled in additional people from Douglas to help, and together with Donald Douglas, they convened with Arnold two days later at Hamilton Army Airfield to sketch out a general outline for Collbohm's proposed project.[24]

Douglas engineer Arthur Emmons Raymond came up with the name Project RAND, from "research and development".[8] Collbohm suggested that he himself should serve as the project's first director, which he thought would be a temporary position while he searched for a permanent replacement for himself.[8] He later became RAND's first president and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1967.[25]

On 1 October 1945, Project RAND was set up under special contract to the Douglas Aircraft Company and began operations in December 1945.[19][26] In May 1946, the Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship was released.

RAND Corporation

By late 1947, Douglas Aircraft executives had expressed their concerns that their close relationship with RAND might create conflict of interest problems on future hardware contracts. In February 1948, the chief of staff of the newly created United States Air Force approved the evolution of Project RAND into a nonprofit corporation, independent of Douglas.[19]

On 14 May 1948, RAND was incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of California and on 1 November 1948, the Project RAND contract was formally transferred from the Douglas Aircraft Company to the RAND Corporation.[19] Initial capital for the spin-off was provided by the Ford Foundation.

Since the 1950s, RAND research has helped inform United States policy decisions on a wide variety of issues, including the space race, the Vietnam War, the U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms confrontation, the creation of the Great Society social welfare programs, the digital revolution, and national health care.[27] In the 1970s the Rand Corporation adjusted computer models it was using to recommend closures of fire stations in New York City so that fire stations were closed in the most fire-prone areas, home to Black and Puerto Rican residents, rather than in wealthier, more affluent neighborhoods.[28]

RAND contributed to the doctrine of

Dr. Strangelove, in which RAND is spoofed as the "BLAND Corporation".[30][31]

Even in the late 1940s and early 1950s, long before Sputnik, the RAND project was secretly recommending to the US government a major effort to design a human-made satellite that would take photographs from space and the rockets to put such a satellite in orbit.[32]

RAND was not the first think tank, but during the 1960s, it was the first to be regularly referred to as a "think tank".[1] Accordingly, RAND served as the "prototype" for the modern definition of that term.[1]

Achievements

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The achievements of RAND stem from its development of

wargaming.[35][36]

Current areas of expertise include: child policy,

regional studies, comparative studies, science and technology, social policy, welfare, terrorism and counterterrorism, cultural policy, arts policy, and transportation.[37][14][11]

RAND designed and conducted one of the largest and most important studies of health insurance between 1974 and 1982. The

Department of Health, Education and Welfare, established an insurance corporation to compare demand for health services with their cost to the patient.[38][39]

In 2018, RAND began its Gun Policy in America initiative,[40] which resulted in comprehensive reviews of the evidence of the effects of gun policies in the United States. The second expanded review in 2020[41] analyzed almost 13,000 relevant studies on guns and gun violence since 1995 and selected 123 as having sufficient methodological rigor for inclusion. These were used to determine the level of scientific support for eighteen classes of gun policy.

Controversy

Almost since its inception, the RAND Corporation has been involved in controversial issues—and its reports, recommendations and influence have been the subject of extensive public debate and controversy. Among these have been:

In December 2023, the RAND Corporation was designated as "undesirable" in Russia.[65]

Notable participants

John von Neumann, consultant to the RAND Corporation[66]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-226-51729-2
    . Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "RAND Leadership". RAND Corporation. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  3. ^ "RAND Corporation Board of Trustees". RAND Corporation. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  4. ^ "RAND Annual Report 2023, p. 39". RAND Corporation. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  5. ^ As of September 20, 2023. RAND Consolidated Financial Statements Fiscal Years Ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (Report). RAND. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  6. ^ RAND Consolidated Financial Statements Fiscal Years Ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 (As of September 20, 2023) (Report). RAND. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  7. ^ 2023 RAND Annual Report (Report). RAND. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-0-15-603344-2
    . Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  9. ^ RAND History and Mission. Accessed 13 April 2009.
  10. ^ a b Johnson, Stephen B. (2002). The United States Air Force and the culture of innovation 1945-1965. Diane Publishing Co. p. 32.
  11. ^ a b "RAND Corporation - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  12. ^ "2023 RAND Annual Report". RAND Corporation. RAND Corporation. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "How We're Funded". RAND Corp. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  14. ^ a b Monica, 1776 Main Street Santa; California 90401-3208. "How We Are Funded: Major Clients and Grantmakers of RAND Research". www.rand.org. Retrieved 10 March 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "RAND Locations". RAND Corp. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  16. ^ "RAND Europe Contact Information". RAND Corp. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  17. ^ "RAND Locations: Canberra Office". RAND Corp. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Pardee RAND History". Pardee RAND Graduate School. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  19. ^ a b c d e "RAND at a Glance". RAND Corp. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  20. ^ "The RAND Journal of Economics". www.rje.org. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  21. ^ Sarabi, Brigette (1 January 2005). "Oregon: The Rand Report on Measure 11 is Finally Available". Partnership for Safety and Justice (PSJ). Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
  22. ^ Harvard University Institute of Politics. "Guide for Political Internships". Harvard University. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  23. ^
    ISBN 978-0-15-603344-2
    . Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  24. ^
    ISBN 978-0-15-603344-2
    . Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  25. ^ Oliver, Myrna (14 February 1990). "Franklin Collbohm Dies; Founder of RAND Corp". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  26. ISBN 978-1-4289-9027-2. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  27. ^ Jardini, David R. (2013). Thinking Through the Cold War: RAND, National Security and Domestic Policy, 1945-1975. p. 10.
  28. ^ Flood, Joe (2011). The Fires: How a Computer Formula, Big Ideas, and the Best of Intentions Burned Down New York City--and Determined the Future of Cities. p. 205.
  29. ISBN 1-55587-766-4
    .
  30. ^ Hanks, Robert (19 December 2007). "The Week In Radio: The think tank for unthinkable thoughts". The Independent. London. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  31. ^ Kaplan, Fred (10 October 2004). "Truth Stranger Than 'Strangelove'". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  32. ^ "The Space Review: LBJ's Space Race: What we didn't know then (Part 1)".
  33. ^ Davies, Merton E.; Hams, William R. (September 1988). RAND's Role in the Evolution of Balloon and Satellite Observation Systems and Related U.S. Space Technology (PDF). RAND Corp. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  34. ^ "Paul Baran - Posthumous Recipient". Internet Hall of Fame. Internet Society. 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  35. ISBN 0-87021-050-5
    . Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  36. ISBN 0-8330-2688-7
    . Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  37. ^ "Policy Experts". RAND Corp. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  38. ^ "RAND's Health Insurance Experiment (HIE)". RAND Corp. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  39. ^ Herdman, Roger C.; Behney, Clyde J. (September 1993). "Chapter 3: The Lessons and Limitations of the Rand Health Insurance Experiment" (PDF). Benefit Design in Health Care Reform: Patient Cost-Sharing (Princeton University): 23–38. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  40. ^ "Gun Policy".
  41. ^ The Science of Gun Policy A Critical Synthesis of Research Evidence on the Effects of Gun Policies in the United States, Second Edition
  42. Nieman Fellow): "The Rand Corporation and Our Policy Makers," September 1963, The Atlantic
    , retrieved November 25, 2022
  43. New York Times
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  44. ^ Rej, Abhijnan: Commentary: The Other Legacy of Robert McNamara," June 10, 2016, War on the Rocks, -- reviewed by Matthew Fay in "Rationalizing McNamara's Legacy," August 5, 2016, Niskanen Center; Fay rebutted by RAND representatives John Speed Meyers and Jonathan P. Wong, at "In Defense of Defense Analysis," September 2, 2016, The RAND Blog, RAND Corporation; retrieved November 24, 2022
  45. Washington Post
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  46. New York Times
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  47. ^ Szanton, Peter L. (RAND Corporation): "Analysis and Urban Government: Experience of the New York City-Rand Institute," July, 1972, Policy Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 153-161, Springer, at Jstor.org, retrieved November 24, 2022
  48. ^ "Data in the Fire Service," 2015, NFPA 2015 Responder Forum, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), retrieved November 24, 2022
  49. ^ Flood, Joe: The Fires: How a Computer Formula Burned Down New York City—and Determined the Future of American Cities, 2011, Riverhead Books, -- summarized at: GoodReads.com, and reviewed at: GoodReads.com (by Rob Kitchin), and at Accounts, (newsletter of the Economics section of the American Sociological Association), Vol. XV, Issue 2, Spring 2016, page 32, retrieved November 24, 2022
  50. ^
    Washington Post
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  51. ^
    Washington Post,; also reviewed by Michael Young at "The Devil and Daniel Ellsberg," June 2000, Reason
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  52. ^
    Washington Post
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  53. Cambridge University
    . Retrieved November 24, 2022
  54. New York Times
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  55. New York Times
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  56. New York Times
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  57. ^ "An Analysis and Critique of the RAND Corporation's Studies in Support of No Fault Laws," 2000, Consumer Watchdog, retrieved November 24, 2022
  58. New York Times
    , retrieved November 24, 2022
  59. ^ Christopher Ingraham (2 March 2018). "The best available evidence suggests NRA-backed gun policies are making crime worse". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  60. ^ Aaron Brown; Justin Monticello (31 March 2022). "Do Studies Show Gun Control Works? No". reason.com. Reason Foundation. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  61. ^ Sheryl Gay Stolberg (27 March 2021). "Can New Gun Violence Research Find a Path Around the Political Stalemate?". New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 March 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  62. ^ Bordelon, Brendon (13 October 2023). "How a billionaire-backed network of AI advisers took over Washington". Politico.
  63. ^ Bordelon, Brendan (26 December 2023). "Congress warns science agency over AI grant to tech-linked think tank". Politico.
  64. ^ Kessler, Andy. "Opinion | SBF Faces Prison, but 'Effective Altruism' Lives On". WSJ. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  65. ^ "Russia Outlaws U.S.-Based RAND Corporation as 'Undesirable'". The Moscow Times. 7 December 2023.
  66. ^ Life Magazine, 25 February 1957, "Passing of a Great Mind", by Clay Bair JR. pages 89–104
  67. ^ Alex Roland and Philip Shiman, Strategic Computing: DARPA and the Quest for Machine Intelligence, 1983–1993, The MIT Press, 2002, p. 302
  68. ^ Nina Tannenwald, The Nuclear Taboo: The United States and the Non-Use of Nuclear Weapons Since 1945, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (UK), 2007, p. 138-139
  69. ^ "F. R. Collbohm, 83, Ex-Head of Rand, Dies". The New York Times. Associated Press. 14 February 1990. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  70. ^ "Michael H. Decker - Profile".
  71. ISBN 978-0-8330-4227-9
    . Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  72. ^ Dole, Stephen H. (2007). Habitable Planets for man. RAND Corporation.
  73. ISSN 0458-3035
    . Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  74. ^ "Obituary: Paul Y. Hammond". University of Pittsburgh. 5 April 2012.
  75. ^ "Computer Science History". School of Computing. University of Utah. Archived from the original on 10 December 2000. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  76. ^ Noland, Claire (12 April 2007). "Konrad Kellen, 93; Rand researcher studied Vietnam War and urged withdrawal of troops". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  77. ^ Monica, 1776 Main Street Santa; California 90401-3208. "Jason Matheny Named President and CEO of RAND Corporation". www.rand.org. Retrieved 7 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  78. ISBN 978-0-8047-1884-4
    . Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  79. Seymour M. Hersh (12 May 2003). "Selective Intelligence — Donald Rumsfeld has his own special sources. Are they reliable?". The New Yorker
    .
  80. ^ "Bruce Karatz and Ratan N. Tata Join Rand Board of Trustees". rand.org. 2 November 2006.
  81. ^ "Ariane M. Tabatabai - Publications". 24 January 2024.

Further reading

Books

Articles

Documentary films and broadcast programs

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAND Corporation.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RAND_Corporation&oldid=1220749866"