Research Library

Public finance fellow Joyce Beebe reviews the changing definition of employment, specifically looking at the current policy measures for providing benefits and protections to workers in the sharing economy. She also discusses concerns regarding workplace automation.

To offer insight into what might happen in the final 90 days before the 2020 presidential election, political science fellow Mark P. Jones answers key questions about the race, including how Biden’s choice of running mate — Sen. Kamala Harris — will impact his campaign, which states will be major battlegrounds and more. Read more in the Baker Institute Blog.

The staggering collapse in Venezuela's oil and gas industry has renewed calls for liberalizing reforms. But a democratic transition and legal reforms may not be enough to attract the large investments needed.

This compilation is based on the “Women’s Grassroots Mobilization in the MENA Region Post-2011” workshops held in Rabat, Morocco and Amman, Jordan in February and March 2020. The following briefs address many facets of women’s mobilization in the second decade of the 2000s. Using detailed case studies of specific countries and movements, the contributing authors — who include scholars and activists from Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, Palestine, and Jordan — examine which spaces for women’s mobilization have opened and which have closed off.

While Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling temporarily protects the DACA program, its fate now rests with the November presidential election.

Political partisanship is strongly influencing the United States’ response to Covid-19, potentially leading to a suboptimal balance between reopening the economy and protecting public health. Read more at the Baker Institute Blog.

The authors argue for an identification and tax program that would allow unauthorized residents to receive identification documents and reside and work legally in the United States. In return, they would pay taxes much like any other American.

Since all parties involved will undoubtedly bear the consequences of Trump's highly problematic Peace to Prosperity plan, it is worth examining its framework and how Israelis, Palestinians and Arab states can navigate the negotiation process.

"This pandemic and looming economic crisis will affect all of us ... The sooner we relearn how to set aside our differences and unite during this difficult moment, the stronger we will emerge from it," writes former Secretary James A. Baker, III.

The authors examine recent trends in vaping, research on its effectiveness for smoking cessation, the role of industry marketing and policy responses to increased use.