Research Library

Sanctions against Venezuela have reduced PDVSA and the Maduro regime's revenues, but they have failed to lead to a path toward democracy or avert Venezuela’s economic and humanitarian collapse. The authors offer policy options for the Biden administration's consideration.

This brief reviews the cost and development problems associated with NASA's plan to return to the moon by 2024 and argues that it is crucial for officials at NASA and the White House to review and adjust the current plans in order to ensure a successful lunar landing.

Due to its high launch costs and the availability of other, more cost-effective commercial launch vehicles, the Biden administration should review the need for NASA's Space Launch System during the negotiation of the annual federal budget, writes George W.S. Abbey, senior fellow in space policy.

Energy fellow Rachel A. Meidl writes that it is imperative to consider and assess innovative recycling technologies that could have enormous economic value in transforming waste plastics into the building blocks for new, higher-value products.

As the Biden administration confronts a difficult economic environment, experts at the Center for Public Finance highlight key policy levers Congress might use to stabilize the U.S. fiscal situation and propose three main dimensions on which fiscal policy proposals should be evaluated to ensure transparency.

Continued robust economic growth in the U.S. will, among many other things, require policies that encourage rapid technological innovation and increases in productivity, promote investment while reducing debt, and maximize economic efficiency. The authors explain why in this brief.

Through both engineered and natural carbon sinks, the U.S. is well-positioned to embark on a comprehensive national strategy aimed at decarbonization. This brief outlines a range of climate solutions and policy recommendations to address the challenges of greenhouse gas mitigation.

Experts from the Center for Energy Studies offer nine climate policy recommendations for the Biden administration and argue that a bipartisan legislative push could accelerate a move toward significant action on climate change.

The Covid-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for resettled refugees in the U.S. and exposed underlying vulnerabilities that particularly impact refugee women and children, as well as the organizations that work to support them. The authors examine the difficulties facing refugees in the U.S. and offer policy recommendations that may help them.

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.