Research Library

American children today are less active than ever before. On this episode, experts explore the relationship between our urban environments, childhood safety, and well-being.

The number of anti-vaccine bills filed in Texas has risen, yet many Texans support vaccine policy. Fellow Kirstin R.W. Matthews and nonresident scholar Rekha Lakshmanan examine the stakes of legislative engagement in public health initiatives and provide a call to action for Texans to embrace public health as an act of freedom.

Will OPEC+ begin to reverse large production cuts at its June 1 meeting? In large part, it will depend on whose oil market outlook is closest to the mark, writes Mark Finley, fellow in energy and global oil. He examines several forecasts and outlines the issues in a new commentary.

David R. Brockman and Edward M. Emmett discuss three high-profile bills introduced by Texas lawmakers in 2023 and their connection to a broader movement that seeks to privilege Christianity in public schools.

Although the media often portrays migration at the U.S.-Mexico border as a “crisis,” experts Kelsey Norman and Ana Martín Gil argue that this depiction lacks nuance and sidesteps possible solutions. This report provides a more realistic view of the situation and offers key policy recommendations.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire just marked 100 days in office. Our latest episode of Baker Briefing features a conversation between Whitmire and fellow Edward M. Emmett on the city’s past and future, hosted in front of a live audience at Baker Hall on April 3, 2024.

The American food supply chain is at risk due to increased farmworker shortages. This new brief explains the issues and suggests policy options to meet the needs of, and for, these vital workers.

The energy transition process depends on investments in clean technologies to cut down carbon emissions in various sectors of the economy. In a new working paper, visiting research fellow Osamah Alsayegh focuses on Arab Gulf states as a case study and proposes policies to mitigate the potential negative impacts of the transition process on affected sectors.

Experts in energy and economics explore how Texas can improve the reliability of electricity service in ERCOT, the state’s grid operator.

From an early age, children spend many hours interacting with screens: phones, tablets, and laptops. A new policy brief from the Child Health Policy Program explains the importance of unstructured free play for healthy child development and recommends four policy approaches to reduce screen time and ensure children’s well-being in the digital age.