Research Library

The authors explore the history of the resource curse and provide summarize the working paper series titled “The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Resource-Rich Regions.”

To avoid the resource curse, nonresident fellow Todd Moss proposes a direct cash dividend to drive macroeconomic benefit, alleviate poverty and create incentives that drive demand for transparency and sound management. This working paper is part of a series titled “The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Resource-Rich Regions.”

A quantitative study examines how heightened geopolitical risk, coupled with lower oil prices, hampers the economic potential of mega construction projects in Arab Gulf states.

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

The recently passed Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act offers several welcome updates to retirement saving rules but has also been widely criticized for limiting the “stretch IRA” strategy. Read more on the Baker Institute Blog: http://bit.ly/36ut6Ol

Mexico's government has eliminated almost all conditions (health checkups, school attendance for children) previously attached to cash transfers for the poor. The author considers the impact of the antipoverty overhaul.

Given that policymakers will eventually need to decide how to resolve the social security program’s projected shortfall, this paper presents a simulation-based approach to evaluating the conventional alternatives of adjustments to benefits or taxes.

In the eighth installment of a series on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), author David Gantz analyzes the trade agreement's provisions on intellectual property, services and digital trade.

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

The authors use survey and interview data to evaluate drug treatment options available through the court diversion process for people charged with drug offenses in Harris County, Texas.