Research Library

In late July, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered a bleak economic outlook for the state’s economy: the amount of general revenue funds available for the current biennium is expected to be $11.5 billion less than originally estimated. Should the state tap into its rainy day fund to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and facilitate a stable recovery?

Public finance fellow Joyce Beebe reviews loan programs and proposals that aim to fund mid- to large-sized entities and nonprofit organizations after the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) stops accepting applications on June 30, 2020. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3dh14sT

Political partisanship is strongly influencing the United States’ response to Covid-19, potentially leading to a suboptimal balance between reopening the economy and protecting public health. Read more at the Baker Institute Blog.

In the second of a series of blogs on the coronovirus outbreak, the authors sound a note of cautious optimism: "We hope for a relatively optimistic outlook for the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with the quick realization of all modifying interventions: earlier and broader testing, strict preventive hygienic and societal measures, a safe and effective vaccine, and effective therapies to treat the virus."  Read more at the Baker Institute Blog.

How might the impending national debt crisis play out in the foreseeable future? Jorge Barro explains in the Baker Institute Blog.

Over the last few months, five provinces in Argentina held local gubernatorial elections. In a new Forbes blog post, fellow Mark P. Jones recaps the elections and discusses their impact on national politics and energy policy: https://bit.ly/2S3MAnk

Despite the wealth of evidence attesting to the efficacy of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, the majority of Americans who need it can't get it — including in Harris County, Texas’ largest county. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/31D9qGV

Aside from the massive cost of constructing a physical barrier along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, factors such as private and tribal land ownership and the impact on the environment must be taken into account.

Bonner Means Baker Fellow Joe Barnes suggests that Trump’s core philosophies as a deal-maker may guide his policy decisions as president in this post on the Baker Institute Blog.

Middle East fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen analyzes recent government shuffles in the United Arab Emirates.