Research Library

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) have experienced substantial growth in recent years, prompting debate about abuses of this tax-advantaged vehicle and what policies should be adopted to close loopholes. Fellow Joyce Beebe reviews the design of DAFs, common criticisms, recent policy developments, and opponents’ arguments against additional regulations.

Latinos are the largest and most rapidly expanding minority group in the U.S. Our latest brief describes the overall state of health and wellness among Latino children and the broader community — including indicators of obesity, mental health, and kindergarten readiness.

Fifty years after the 1973 oil embargo, Baker Institute Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East and Center for Energy Studies hosted a conference to examine lessons learned from the embargo and their renewed relevance for today’s energy crises. Featuring remarks from His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, the conference also included expert panels with industry leaders, other former policymakers, and academics.

On Dec. 8, 2023, the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) and Baker Institute held their first Brain Health Summit. Baker Institute Fellow Harris A. Eyre joined experts from AAGP and beyond for a broad-ranging discussion about reducing dementia risks through modifiable lifestyle factors and how treating mental disorders in the young — alongside stress reduction training — can limit brain health issues in later life.

Baker Institute Rice faculty scholar Luz M. Garcini and co-authors analyze existing research on the compounded stressors and health risks faced by undocumented Latino older adults in the United States. Using a Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) lens, they examine the environments, conditions, and social structures that influence health risks, and provide policy and advocacy recommendations to address the issues.

Progress on the UN’s sustainable development goals — aimed at achieving peace and prosperity for all people and the planet — has been slow. However, fellow Harris A. Eyre and his co-authors explain how applying a brain capital framework could change the trajectory.

Do remittances — the money sent home by migrants working abroad — drive economic growth? Research scholar Jose Ivan Rodriguez-Sanchez explores their impact Mexico's economy and argues that Mexico needs a more robust economic strategy for sustained growth.

Are our views of sustainability becoming distorted by the often unsubstantiated “green” actions of companies and organizations? This brief explores why we urgently need a new framework for sustainability — one that relies on a holistic, cross-disciplinary, and multidimensional life cycle approach.

Sen. Xochitl Gálvez, the Mexican opposition nominee for president, chose to visit a suburb north of Houston for her first campaign event abroad. Research scholar Rodrigo Montes de Oca explains why it was a smart choice — and what the visit shows about the dark horse candidate.

A new widespread immigrant amnesty would grow the wages of currently undocumented immigrants by 4%-5% — adding roughly $14 billion per year in labor market earnings, writes contributor Hugh Cassidy.