Research Library

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Energy studies fellow Anna Mikulska delivered…

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.

Maternal health is widely seen as a key indicator of a society’s overall well-being. Two new reports out of Texas paint a concerning picture. America has the worst maternal death rate of any wealthy nation, and Texas ranks eighth worst state in the nation for maternal mortality. Here, we discuss the scope of the maternal mortality crisis in Texas, how it is unfolding in communities unevenly across the state, and potential policy responses amid broader public concern on maternal health issues.

On Monday, February 6, 2023 a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria. It is the world’s deadliest earthquake in more than a decade. The latest reports from the two countries put the death toll at 22,375, with thousands more injured. Rescue workers are now racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings in freezing winter conditions‚ but hopes are fading. 

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.

Over the last three years, the U.S. has experienced several significant pandemic-driven economic rollercoasters. In response, consumer behaviors have certainly shifted, writes public finance fellow Joyce Beebe. She explores the latest consumer trends in this issue brief.

Australia’s domestic natural gas price caps are poor policy, writes nonresident scholar Kelly Neill. A better idea is a tax enabling the Australian government to share resource profits and losses with the gas industry.

President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has backfired in many ways. For one, it’s leading to a diminished Russian energy export economy and spurring Europe to a clean energy future, writes fellow Jim Krane.

The short days and winter storms of January have kept drivers off the roads—lowering the demand for gas and increasing the available supply. Yet, oil prices are still rising as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to disrupt global energy markets. We discuss the latest market trends and developments in global energy markets— including the European Union embargo on Russian oil exports and the price caps that G-7 nations are preparing to set on Russian diesel, kerosene and oil.