Research Library

Immigration policy will look very different in a Trump or Joe Biden presidency. This brief summarizes changes that have occurred under the Trump administration so far and examines the repercussions of the November election on four aspects of immigration policy.

A defense diplomacy shielded from the influence of nationalistic and partisan sentiments presents a valuable opportunity for the U.S. to advance regional security in the Indo-Pacific, and to forge a path to a more equitable and peaceful future with China, writes nonresident scholar Daniel Katz.

The authors compare the impacts of energy-related sanctions against Russia and a market-based geoeconomics policy, and suggest options for U.S. involvement in the region.

Using religious political parties in Iran and Turkey as case studies, the authors argue that the parties are not passively constrained by religious doctrine. Rather, they actively and continually construct religious narratives that respond to their immediate threat perceptions and political environment. Read more at Political Science Quarterly.

Public finance fellow Joyce Beebe examines a new approach that states have been exploring to secure additional revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic — imposing excise taxes on sports betting and daily fantasy sports. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3jNT85Z

Analysis of a survey conducted by the authors found that prosocial behavior plays an important role in an individual’s ability to engage in health-promoting behaviors, such as physical activity, despite adverse conditions. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Aug. 13, 2020.

Prices of natural gas have fallen precipitously in recent months as the global COVID-19 pandemic deepened the already existing misalignment between growing supply and relatively sluggish demand. Post-COVID-19 recovery should increase the demand through 2022, but a soft market is expected to continue through 2025. These conditions could provide an unprecedented opportunity for natural gas buyers/importers.

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.

Changes in Russian natural gas policy point to a new strategy where Gazprom and Novatek follow different operating rules, allowing Russia to adjust to a changing natural gas market. The authors explain how this arrangement is playing out on the world energy landscape.

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.