Research Library

While Mexico may indeed emerge from the recent oil price slump in better shape than most, tinkering with the solid macroeconomic foundations established by the country’s last three administrations could lead to trouble.

Baker Institute experts explain how Friday's arrest of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will affect the Peña Nieto administration, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Mexican government's "kingpin strategy" to destroy the cartels.

The current electoral labyrinth in Egypt continues to pose a significant challenge to creating a just and all-inclusive political system. Despite the myriad electoral reforms and constitutional amendments passed in the past four years, women continue to play a minor role in the decision-making process in postrevolutionary Egypt. The new constitution unveiled in early 2014 lacks a constitutional provision or a quota system that would guarantee equal political representation for women; this will negatively impact women’s ability to exert influence in the political arena.

Despite mounting efforts toward achieving gender equality, the Middle East and North Africa region continues to rank the lowest worldwide when it comes to women's economic participation and opportunity.

On Monday, three committees in Mexico’s senate — constitutional issues, energy and legislative studies — voted to bring an energy reform bill to the chamber’s floor for debate. The legislation would provide international oil companies the opportunity to participate in profit-sharing contracts and concession-like licenses for energy operations in Mexico, and it is expected to become law by the end of the legislative session Dec. 15.