Research Library

Immigration is not only a domestic issue for the United States, but a regional one. This brief lays out a policy framework to address the root causes of migration from Mexico and Central America and promote legal, orderly mobility.

Scenes of insurrectionists rummaging through offices and computers in the Capitol highlight the urgent need for Congress to up its IT security game. The authors recommend steps to adopt modern IT management and cybersecurity processes that are already used throughout the federal government.

With the cost of virgin plastic directly affected by oil and natural gas prices, the global plastics economy is highly vulnerable to shocks. The authors argue that in order to advance sustainability and solve existential crises like resource depletion and the environmental and social impacts of climate change, high-income countries should take the lead on the development of transparent, closed loops for plastics. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25613/JXVH-K250

Experts from the Center for Energy Studies offer nine climate policy recommendations for the Biden administration and argue that a bipartisan legislative push could accelerate a move toward significant action on climate change.

Nonresident scholar David R. Brockman examines the role of Christian nationalism in Texas state officials' response to the COVID-19 pandemic between March and July 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25613/q0td-0989

The authors urge consideration of issues such as consent, confidentiality and return of results to ensure that the benefits of postmortem genetic testing are maximized and the harms are minimized.

Driven by pandemic-related concerns, Americans are shifting away from cash toward digital payment transactions. Is COVID-19 fast-forwarding us to a cashless society? Read Joyce Beebe's take at the Baker Institute Blog.

Our current economic situation is not permanent, and laws should not be altered based on the idea that domestic shutdown will last forever. However, we should remain flexible as our economy recovers.

Stephen Mumme, nonresident scholar at the Center for the United States and Mexico, explores the recent Rio Grande water war and its temporary resolution, arguing that the 1944 water treaty has once again proven resilient and adaptable to the challenges confronting both the United States and Mexico as they share their transboundary water resources.