Research Library

Since the first reports of the coronavirus surfaced in China two months ago, Baker Institute experts have provided a range of perspectives on the impact of a growing viral outbreak. Follow the links below for their most recent commentaries, and check back for regular updates as the situation develops in the U.S. and abroad.

In this study, the authors found that deployment of a cost feedback tool using behavioral economics principles resulted in a marked decrease in operating room spending without negatively affecting the complication rate. Journal of the American College of Surgeons: http://bit.ly/39jaRO8

Science and engineering graduate students in the Spring 2020 Developing Civic Scientist Leaders (DCSL) Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy discuss specific science policy topics, with a focus on international science collaboration and U.S. competitiveness.

The authors examine recent trends in vaping, research on its effectiveness for smoking cessation, the role of industry marketing and policy responses to increased use.

This paper tracks a change in the direction of Mexico’s energy policy under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador — a change that inhibits private investment while attempting to restore Pemex’s oil monopoly.

Mexico’s government should prioritize early childhood education, but its decision to reduce the budget and replace a childhood centers program for the disadvantaged indicates it does not, writes graduate fellow Daniel Prudencio.

This research paper examines how underlying shifts in security dynamics in the Persian Gulf may evolve as regional states respond to the perception of receding U.S. leadership by further diversifying security relationships and internationalizing what until the 2010s had been a solidly Western-centric web of partnerships. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25613/n8xe-hj20

The Baker Institute's Presidential Elections Program held its second conference, “A Presidential Election in an Uncertain Time” in December 2019. Fellows Mark P. Jones and John B. Williams summarize the presentations and discussions of the many academics, campaign consultants, journalists, and other individuals who participated in the four thematic panels as well as a lunch conversation featuring political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin.

The authors explore the history of the resource curse and provide summarize the working paper series titled “The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Resource-Rich Regions.”

Venezuela, which has one of the largest hydrocarbon endowments in the world, offers a striking case study on the resource curse, write Francisco Monaldi, Igor Hernández and José La Rosa. This working paper is part of a series titled “The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Resource-Rich Regions.”