Research Library

The leader of Argentina's most influential oil and natural gas workers union is handing off the reins to a more combative successor. The government and energy firms active in the Vaca Muerta are concerned. Read more in Mark Jones' Forbes post on the Baker Institute Blog.

This paper provides evidence demonstrating that the legalization of undocumented immigrants and their inclusion in the banking system, health care insurance system and housing market would produce a positive ripple effect throughout the U.S. economy.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, which became law in mid-March, left out the mandate to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, but it did lead to an open policy discussion about current minimum wage standards. In a post for the Baker Institute Blog, public finance fellow Joyce Beebe considers some of the pros and cons of increasing the minimum wage and possible future developments.

In late July, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivered a bleak economic outlook for the state’s economy: the amount of general revenue funds available for the current biennium is expected to be $11.5 billion less than originally estimated. Should the state tap into its rainy day fund to offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and facilitate a stable recovery?

In a post for the Baker Institute Blog, Joyce Beebe reviews current developments in state and federal paid sick leave policies, and examines key arguments of proponents and detractors.

When states report an increase in Covid-19 cases, Google searches for mental health-related issues also increase, often significantly, the authors find. Their analysis of Google trends data, which is posted in Advance Social Science and Humanities, recommends that policymakers prepare for greater mental health needs in the event a predicted resurgence of Covid-19 becomes a reality.

The pandemic has compounded Mexico's existing economic problems, and López Obrador’s response to the crisis could make recovery more difficult.

Fellow Vivian Ho discusses the sources she's following that shape her thoughts on how long the pandemic will last and what policy actions seem most promising. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3aRTDrF

The authors explain why $100 billion allocated by the CARES act to compensate health care providers for unreimbursed expenses and lost revenue from may be woefully inadequate.

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