Research Library

Scenes of insurrectionists rummaging through offices and computers in the Capitol highlight the urgent need for Congress to up its IT security game. The authors recommend steps to adopt modern IT management and cybersecurity processes that are already used throughout the federal government.

Energy fellow Mark Finley assesses the future of international oil companies given the tremendous pressure they've experienced since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. Using a football analogy, he suggests that although business leaders are rightly focused on winning the game, they can’t ignore the condition of the playing field.

Kelly Neill, graduate fellow at the Center for Energy Studies, examines how LNG exports have increased the domestic natural gas price in the eastern part of Australia, causing domestic gas users to grumble. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/30voN4p

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.

While foreign policy has rarely been the predominant issue in U.S. presidential campaigns, the November election will provide voters a clear choice when it comes to U.S. relations with other nations, writes fellow Joe Barnes.

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.

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.

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

As the number of coronavirus cases rises in Iran, nearby countries are scrambling to prevent the disease from spreading across borders. Read more at the Baker Institute Blog.