Research Library

David R. Brockman and Edward M. Emmett discuss three high-profile bills introduced by Texas lawmakers in 2023 and their connection to a broader movement that seeks to privilege Christianity in public schools.

Attempts to undermine church-state separation in Texas reached a crescendo in 2023, writes nonresident scholar David R. Brockman. In this paper, he explores how three high-profile bills introduced during the state’s 88th legislative session threatened to tear down the wall between church and state.

With the election of ruling-party presidential candidate William Lai last January, Taiwan is set to continue its shift away from nuclear power. Experts discuss what this means for energy security, cross-strait relations, and the push for sovereignty.

It may pay to shop around for health care. New legislation requiring transparency in health insurance coverage allows price comparisons between hospitals, across hospital systems, and with different insurers. In a new issue brief, Vivian Ho and co-author Evelyn Li compare quality and analyze pricing data from Houston area hospitals.

Media stories have raised concerns about Florida’s expansion of advanced trauma centers, with newly designated centers charging high trauma activation fees for relatively minor injuries, and Texas has experienced similar expansion in the last decade. In a new working paper, Chair in Health Economics Vivian Ho and her co-authors study the association between trauma center upgrades and patient outcomes — examining Texas commercial claims to track changes in spending, mortality, and readmissions of trauma patients

Taiwan’s Jan. 13 elections saw voters assert an increasingly diverse and inclusive democratic identity. Allies and foes alike should take note, writes fellow Steven W. Lewis.

In July, the Chinese government announced that its foreign minister, Qin Gang, had been removed from office and replaced by his predecessor, Wang Yi. Fellows Joe Barnes and Steven W. Lewis discuss what the move reveals — and what it could mean for U.S.-China relations — on this episode of Baker Briefing.

Latin America represents the largest energy resource base outside of the Middle East. The region’s vast energy resources — including significant crude oil and natural gas resources — and its unique political landscape make Latin America a significant player that could shift the geopolitical weight from the East to the West.  

This reports looks at the future potential of green hydrogen hubs in Chile, and how to decarbonize the economy while making use of the country's abundant renewable energy resources, wind and solar power.

Two new bills introduced in the Texas Legislature could jeopardize the care received by Medicaid patients, writes Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics. She explains why the legislation would weaken county-owned insurance plans and raise Texans’ tax bills.