Research Library

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.

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.

Energy and environment fellow Rachel A. Meidl discusses how the Covid-19 pandemic is disrupting the waste, plastic, and recycling industries. In response, she stresses the need for a systems-level approach. Forbes blog: https://bit.ly/3cDbseB

Nonresident fellow Anna Mikulska explores the future of natural gas markets in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Forbes blog: https://bit.ly/39zeNJK

Even before the pandemic, Mexico’s health care system was in crisis, with shortages of medical supplies, drugs, and personnel. A president that is downplaying the outbreak, brandishing amulets to “protect” him from the virus, isn’t helping matters. Baker Institute blog: https://bit.ly/2w6KJHV

Fellow Joyce Beebe evaluates a provision of the newly passed SECURE Act, which offers an option for penalty-free withdrawal from IRAs and 401(k)s for new parents. She also discusses Congress’s recent decision to grant 2.1 million federal workers up to 12 weeks paid parental leave. Baker Institute Blog: http://bit.ly/2RZIIUJ

Fellow Rachel A. Meidl critiques China's ban on plastics, arguing that "simply banning a product and encouraging the use of understudied alternative products" is not enough. Forbes Blog: http://bit.ly/2O0ALh2

This article reviews certain elements of employee retirement plans and their tax implications, as well as the often-overlooked component of employer matching. Read more on the Baker Institute Blog: http://bit.ly/36T9sft

Fellow Katharine Neill Harris considers the validity of risk assessment tools, which estimate the likelihood that an individual who has been charged with or convicted of a crime will commit a future offense. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/2Cwl6jc