Research Library

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was elected to a third consecutive and fourth overall term as president Sunday. While Ortega has successfully revitalized Nicaragua’s economy, his reelection signals a return toward an authoritarian power structure that dismantles the country’s democratic progress.

This issue brief argues that institutional changes, along with greater representation of women in politics, are needed to combat governmental corruption in Latin America.

The percentage of Hispanics in Texas without health insurance has dropped by 30 percent since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect, but almost one-third of Hispanic Texans ages 18 to 64 remain uninsured.

Using the work of the women’s caucus in Iran’s Sixth Parliament as a case study, the authors examine women’s struggles to obtain a voice and influence within an authoritarian polity and a male-dominated political body.

Five years after the Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia stands alone as the only country in North Africa where the Arab Spring has led to significant reforms and a democratic transition. Reservations have been voiced, however, on the gender equality provisions in the country’s revised constitution.

This research summary analyzes the obstacles facing gender-focused policy research institutes (PRIs) in the Middle East North Africa region and explores how PRIs and think tanks can work to promote gender equality.

Baker Institute political science fellow Mark Jones describes eight key takeaways from Houston’s Nov. 3 city elections, including the defeat of HERO, the odds of a future equal rights ordinance being passed in the city, and runoffs in the mayoral race and several key city council posts. Read his post in the Nov. 4 Baker Institute Blog.

Participants in the 2015 student-led Public Diplomacy and Global Policy Program report their research findings on education, energy, health and gender and equality issues in Doha, Qatar. Edited by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen and Ariana Marnicio.

This report sheds light on the challenges facing women in Kuwait to play a more substantive role in the decision-making process.

The UN adopted new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the end of September 2015. Using data from the Arab Millennium Development Goals Report, research analyst Ariana Marnicio recommends the Arab world primarily focus on three SDGs to improve the lives of women