Research Library

U.S. energy policy is evolving under President Trump, and the changes will affect trade, foreign policy and relations with key global energy suppliers, including the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries. Fellow Jim Krane and Elsie Hung explore how U.S. energy and climate policies could change under the Trump administration and what implications these could have in the U.S. itself, for energy markets globally and for the GCC states.

As his term progresses, President Trump will be faced with a large number of policy challenges, some of them requiring immediate science & technology expertise. In this Science Magazine article, the authors urge the president to consider the Office of Science & Technology Policy, the science advisor and the presidential S&T councils as vital resources that should be used early in the term to drive his policy agenda.

Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute, makes the case for a comprehensive North American strategy in which the U.S., Mexico and Canada act in concert to become the global superpower of the 21st century.

Fellow Joe Barnes looks back, and ahead, at the impact of President Obama's foreign policies.

This compilation of briefs addresses a range of issues the new administration will face in the coming years.  “It is our hope that these Baker Institute studies will prove to be useful starting points for the new administration to develop comprehensive, forward-looking solutions," said Baker Institute Director Edward Djerejian.

NAFTA has become increasingly more controversial in the United States. U.S. firms and workers are best served by an examination of the agreement to improve and modernize the relationship and make it more equitable to all partners. This will benefit America’s economy, and that of Canada and Mexico.

Shifts in U.S. economic policy toward China could provide leverage on other issues and, at the beginning of a new administration, usefully set a tone of cooperation.

Although the energy challenge is significant and requires a long-term view to be successfully addressed, long-term goals can be sustainably achieved through fundamental research and development.

The Trump administration should push for formal congressional authorization of both the ongoing operations against ISIS and any significant increase in U.S. military action in Syria, writes fellow Joe Barnes.

With growing competition from abroad, the U.S. must reform its fiscal policy to reduce debt, maximize economic efficiency — including minimizing the distortions caused by the tax system — and maintain its areas of competitive advantage.