Research Library

The layered and intersectional implications of Lebanon's current political and economic crisis have been felt hardest by the country’s most vulnerable and marginalized communities — predominantly the country’s millions of refugees and migrants.

The phenomena of Syrian refugee women marrying Egyptian men whom they barely know soon after their arrival has drawn the attention of media and advocacy groups. Such marriages are often facilitated through marriage brokers, social media, and religious groups. In contrast to existing narratives that view this type of marriage as exploitative, the author demonstrates how the concept of “marriage for refuge” offers a better lens through which to analyze the relationship between forced migration and marriage.

The number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border far exceeds the immigration system’s capacity, and the flow is not stopping. In this brief, visiting scholar Katia Adimora talks to experts in the field about what the real issues are and how best to solve them.

Brain diseases have profound impacts on our health, our communities and the economy. In this brief, fellow Harris A. Eyre explains why Texas needs to establish a state research institute to tackle a growing brain health crisis.

In 2019, Texas enacted a new measure requiring all counties to deliver digital tax rate notices to property owners. In this “quick take,” the McNair Center’s Jennifer Rabb and Lebena Varghese summarize key findings from their research on how the government can make these tax rate notices clearer and more relevant to Texas taxpayers.

This policy report examines the push and pull factors that contribute to the formation of so-called “migrant caravans” and offers policy recommendations to staunch the flow of migrants through Mexico.

With the 2023 debt-ceiling negotiations under way, a new issue brief from John Diamond, director of the Center for Public Finance, and Autumn Engebretson looks at the effectiveness of the Budget Control Act 2011, enacted in response to the 2011 debt-ceiling crisis. Did it in fact control the budget? And could similar legislation work now?

If implemented, the Handle with Care program could provide a significant opportunity to help students facing trauma, write scholar Christopher Kulesza and co-author Abigail Levine. Their new policy brief urges Texas legislators to enact the program statewide.

A pledge to boost regional competitiveness is a welcome outcome of last month's North American Leaders’ Summit. But the region’s policymakers should remember the lessons of the past as they work to do so, writes fellow David A. Gantz.