Research Library

Houston Mayor John Whitmire just marked 100 days in office. Our latest episode of Baker Briefing features a conversation between Whitmire and fellow Edward M. Emmett on the city’s past and future, hosted in front of a live audience at Baker Hall on April 3, 2024.

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.

The American food supply chain is at risk due to increased farmworker shortages. This new brief explains the issues and suggests policy options to meet the needs of, and for, these vital workers.

Experts in energy and economics explore how Texas can improve the reliability of electricity service in ERCOT, the state’s grid operator.

From an early age, children spend many hours interacting with screens: phones, tablets, and laptops. A new policy brief from the Child Health Policy Program explains the importance of unstructured free play for healthy child development and recommends four policy approaches to reduce screen time and ensure children’s well-being in the digital age.

The energy transition process depends on investments in clean technologies to cut down carbon emissions in various sectors of the economy. In a new working paper, visiting research fellow Osamah Alsayegh focuses on Arab Gulf states as a case study and proposes policies to mitigate the potential negative impacts of the transition process on affected sectors.

In an attempt to regulate the cryptocurrency industry, the Infrastructure Bill of 2021 introduced new reporting responsibilities for digital asset brokers. Fellow Joyce Beebe explains why the Treasury’s proposed regulations have since sparked a fierce debate among industry experts about the scope and impact of the requirements.

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.

These are tough days for Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression. Fellow Joe Barnes discusses the current state of U.S. and international support for Ukraine and an embattled conflict with no end in sight.