Research Library

The author describes how Texas legislators can bring the power of the digital age to the property tax process.

Center for Energy Studies senior director Ken Medlock provided an overview of trends in electricity generation by source — from coal and natural gas to wind, solar and biomass — and the role of infrastructure during testimony before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on March 5.  Download the PDFs below to read his written testimony and the questions for the record submitted to Medlock, as well as his answers.

Fellow David Gantz examines the potential impact of changes to rules on tariffs, customs and rules of origin issues in North America under the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement. https://doi.org/10.25613/sj2a-wy96.

This report reviews several fundamental challenges in cross-border taxation of the digital economy and presents recent developments toward revising existing laws to enable the taxation of digital companies in Europe.

Nonresident scholar Julie Cohn explores the history of the giant interconnecting machine that linked the majority of power users across the country from 1967 to 1975. Proceedings of the IEEE, Dec. 28, 2018.

In separate papers, two Baker Institute fellows — one Palestinian, the other Israeli — provide their perspectives on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Fellow Joyce Beebe examines recent policies and proposals that aim to simplify the federal student loan process.

Measuring the costs of corruption around the world is challenging due to varying definitions of corruption, the invisibility of many corrupt acts, and the subjectivity of perceptions. In this research paper, postdoctoral research fellow Jose I. Rodriguez-Sanchez explores the difficulties of measuring corruption in Mexico.

There is a growing global momentum to address the critical economic and environmental problem of plastic waste management. Fellow Rachel A. Meidl discusses the key elements and causes of this problem and explores policy actions for reducing the reliance on single-use plastics.

To reduce future flood damage, Houston needs a plan that features a strong vision focused on living with flooding, excellent information on flooding risks and safety concerns, and action on protecting residents' lives and livelihoods, Rice faculty scholar Jim Blackburn writes in an issue brief.