The Office of the United States Trade Representative recently stepped back from ongoing negotiations on digital trade at the World Trade Organization, citing unsettled domestic policy, and suspended support for digital trade rules in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework too. But if the U.S. wants to be a part of the conversation, it should reengage and help craft rules flexible enough to meet its future domestic policy needs, writes nonresident fellow Simon Lester.
Despite recent claims that “free trade is dead,” fellow Simon Lester explains that America was never close to anything resembling free trade in the first place. Instead, current U.S. trade policy, just like past policy, reflects a messy mix of free market and industrial policy views.
With the recent enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act, the conversation about industrial policy has started up again. Are state-directed economic policies back, and will such initiatives work?
A lignite mine on the border of Poland and the Czech Republic is caught between global environmental and local economic concerns. For COP26 to make headway on climate action, the authors write, it must consider the local implications while proposing solutions.
To better reflect the iterative collaboration necessary for scientific progress, the Nobel Prize must expand its recognition to the many contributors of winning discoveries as well as diversify the selection committee, thereby also expanding recognition of the work of underrepresented minorities, argues this Baker Institute Blog post.
Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Kenneth M. Evans, Flora Naylor, Daniel MoralíOctober 13, 2021
This year's Nobel Prize in Physics broadens the traditionally defined scope of the discipline, writes Kenneth Evans, demonstrating how discoveries in physics play a crucial role in addressing global issues like climate change.
Some states still face challenges with racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 vaccine distribution, and Texas is one of them. How might we avoid these inequities in the future? The authors explain in the Baker Institute Blog.
Elena M. Marks, Varsha Varghese, Jennifer MeierMay 5, 2021
The authors argue that the health care system needs to be better integrated with the social services sector, so that when people encounter either realm, they’ll get more of their needs addressed — including the social determinants of health. Health Affairs Blog: https://bit.ly/3wx1Pbh
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry faces increasing pressure to do more to achieve climate change objectives. A new product—Green LNG—could help ensure that natural gas keeps its role in the energy transition, if the LNG industry can convert Green LNG into a uniform, tradable commodity, write the authors.
Kenneth B. Medlock III, Steven R. Miles, Marcia HookOctober 27, 2020