Research Library

Larger trucks and SUVs with powerful, high-displacement engines are the low-hanging fruit for any policymaker seeking the most efficient path to reducing gasoline use and the associated emissions.

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“If I were to pick a single indicator—economic…

Fellows Gabriel Collins and Jim Krane argue in this issue brief that despite changes in U.S.-Persian Gulf trade relations, the U.S. retains an enduring interest in preserving political stability and securing oil flows from the region.

Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute Mexico Center, testified on transnational labor flows and commerce at an April 10, 2017, hearing of the Texas House Committee on International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Scholar Raúl Bajo Buenestado examines the consumer welfare consequences of introducing capacity payments in the electricity sector, finding that capacity payments reduce price volatility and increase the reliability of the system but also cause consumers’ electricity bills to rise.

Brazil's economy is among those most closed to foreign trade. Debate on trade policy has returned to the political agenda, but domestic and international circumstances do not currently favor reform. This brief discusses the outlook for trade policy reform in Brazil during President Michel Temer's term and the challenges that will be faced by any succeeding government.

With the Texas Legislature now considering several bills that would decrease penalties for marijuana possession and legalize the use of medical marijuana to treat a variety of conditions, authors William Martin and Katharine A. Neill present updated findings in this new issue brief that support the case for reforming marijuana policy in Texas.

To harness the power of the market for ideas, the federal government must fund the U.S. patent office to 21st century levels and enhance the rights of patent owners.

A critical reassessment of NASA’s current programs and future is essential to ensure the nation’s continued leadership role in human spaceflight, writes senior fellow George Abbey.

Texans are likely to pay more at freestanding emergency departments than at hospital-based emergency departments or urgent care centers, according to a study co-authored by Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics and director of the Center for Health and Biosciences.