Research Library

Public finance fellow Joyce Beebe examines a new approach that states have been exploring to secure additional revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic — imposing excise taxes on sports betting and daily fantasy sports. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3jNT85Z

The oil boom in the 1970s and early 1980s and the resulting social and economic crisis left policymakers with valuable lessons that — considering today’s conversation on the role of the oil industry in Mexico — should not be overlooked.

The staggering collapse in Venezuela's oil and gas industry has renewed calls for liberalizing reforms. But a democratic transition and legal reforms may not be enough to attract the large investments needed.

President López Obrador was skeptical of the coronavirus threat and ignored the recommendations of his own health experts. He downplayed the crisis and relied on his intuition instead of science, with disastrous results. He will be even more distracted in the coming months as he campaigns for re-election.

Rather than offer a forecast that may overstate or understate Covid-19's impact on the U.S. and global economy, the authors highlight what to look for as the pandemic progresses, recedes or oscillates.

A social safety net in the form of unemployment benefits, job training, etc. can help cushion the blow for workers when economic events beyond their control (like the Covid-19 pandemic) cause companies to shed workers, writes Mark Finley, fellow in energy and global oil.

Public finance fellow Joyce Beebe reviews the major contentions and developments of the controversial Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), intended to help small businesses during the current economic downturn. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/2XFxgAq

Energy fellow Michelle Michot Foss interviews Bernard Duroc-Danner, the former CEO of EVI, Grant Prideco & Weatherford, to explore the strategic shifts for businesses in the oilfield services (OFS) industry and to address how the OFS industry must restructure itself.

The oil glut and the unprecedented drop in demand, along with plummeting oil prices due to the coronavirus pandemic, is revealing the strengths and weaknesses of oil firms globally. The authors consider four NOCs — Ecopetrol, Petrobras, Petronas and Pemex — in the context of the current crisis.

Leveraging a crash in oil revenue, the Saudi government has quickly imposed unprecedented changes to the way it raises cash by increasing taxes and slashing subsidies in ways Saudi citizens once considered unthinkable.