Research Library

Held virtually across three days in December 2020, the Presidential Elections Program's third conference — "A Presidential Election During the Time of COVID-19" — brought together a diverse group of academics, campaign consultants and other prominent individuals to review the dynamics and outcome of the 2020 presidential election. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions of the many individuals who participated in the conference’s five thematic panels, as well as a moderated conversation featuring veteran political consultants Stephanie Cutter and Beth Myers, who served as the conference's honorary co-chairs.

In 2005, former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker, III, co-chaired the Commission on Federal Election Reform, which produced a report on the U.S. electoral process and recommendations on maximizing ballot access and election integrity. In June 2021, The Carter Center and the Baker Institute held five webinars that again examined critical challenges facing the U.S. electoral system. This report includes the results of the discussions.

In 2020, Energy Dialogues and the Center for Energy Studies hosted a virtual event at which representatives from industry, academia, environmental groups and regulatory bodies focused on four themes: the impact of COVID-19 on global energy demand, resiliency in the energy industry, net-zero aspirations and pathways for transitioning to a lower-carbon future. This report summarizes the discussions held during the event.

Michelle Michot Foss, fellow in energy, minerals and materials, testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy about the CLEAN Future Act and key considerations for decarbonizing the transportation sector.

Nonresident fellow Todd Moss testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Global Human Rights on the importance of defeating energy poverty in Africa and ensuring that African countries get fair treatment in climate policy.

Fellow Katharine Neill Harris testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on the failed war on drugs and solutions based on racial justice and harm reduction.

In testimony before the Texas House of Representatives Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, Neill Harris expressed support for limiting arrests for fine-only offenses and expanding cite-and-release eligibility to include nonviolent misdemeanors and low-level drug possession. These changes will save taxpayers money and reduce the racially disparate burdens of incarceration without compromising public safety, she said.

On September 16, energy fellow Michelle Michot Foss provided an overview of the role of critical minerals in creating a clean economy during testimony before the U.S. House of Representative's Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. She also discussed the challenges associated with energy transitions, including import dependency and considerations for meeting environment, social and governance (ESG) goals.

"In a changing competitive environment, which the recent events affecting the global oil market clearly represent, a greater focus on ensuring and maintaining fair and open competition is critical to the long-term health of the market," said the authors in a written statement to the Texas Railroad Commission.

By Colton Cox On March 17, 2019, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a conference entitled “Religious Authority in the Middle East: Implications for U.S. Policy.” The conference, organized by the Baker Institute Center for the Middle East, was the culmination of a survey-based project of the Middle East and North African region funded by the Henry R. Luce Foundation and led by the Baker Institute’s A.Kadir Yildirim. This report highlights key findings and themes from the conference.