US economy can handle high government debt, says Baker Institute expert
U.S. debt is projected to soon eclipse World War II-era levels, and while that sounds problematic, that much growth in government debt won’t weaken the private sector like it did in the 1940s, according to new research by an expert at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
'Strategic indifference' leaves refugees in precarious position, says Baker Institute expert
Current explanations for migrant and refugee policies in the "global south" mistake the absence of formal policy for neglect. But a migration and immigration expert at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy proposes to explain this dynamic as "strategic indifference.”
2020 presidential election in focus at Rice's Baker Institute
HOUSTON – (Nov. 19, 2020) – Leading academics, political experts and journalists from around the country will headline the third annual — and first virtual — Presidential Elections Program conference hosted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Biden must avoid cold war with China, says Rice U. expert
With U.S.-China relations at their lowest point since the Cold War, President-elect Joe Biden’s expected approach to the world’s most populous country will likely exacerbate tensions, according to an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
HOUSTON – (Nov. 10, 2020) – The Texas justice system’s overreaction to low-level offenses wastes taxpayer dollars and contributes to overcrowded jails that put community health at risk, according to an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Status of COVID-19 vaccines 'extremely promising,' says Baker Institute expert
HOUSTON – (Nov. 10, 2020) – As coronavirus cases surge in the United States and elsewhere, the world got good news Monday when Pfizer and its partner, the German company BioNTech, announced preliminary trial results that suggest their vaccine is more than 90% effective. Pfizer is one of six companies to receive funding from the U.S. government's Operation Warp Speed. The goal of the program is to have a vaccine by January. "If we can make it will depend on how fast the FDA approves a vaccine for emergency use authorization," said Kirstin Matthews, fellow in science and technology policy at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
HOUSTON – (Nov. 9, 2020) – President-elect Joe Biden's efforts to restore competency and trust in federal research agencies will require fundamental -- sometimes counter-intuitive -- changes that will strengthen the use of science in U.S. policy and by the research community, according to an expert at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Remote work causes tax issues for both workers and employers
As employers evaluate whether remote-work arrangements are a viable longterm option, they should consider that these seemingly innocuous arrangements can trigger tax issues for both workers and their employers, according to an expert from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
As relationship with US deteriorates, experts to discuss China's 'soft power'
HOUSTON – (Oct. 29, 2020) – Experts from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy will examine the role of "soft power" in U.S.-China diplomacy in the final webinar of its 2020 Election Series Nov. 2.
US wealth, income inequality has declined, Baker Institute expert finds
HOUSTON – (Oct. 28, 2020) – Analysis of Federal Reserve survey data shows U.S. wealth inequality has declined for the first time in nearly 30 years, while income inequality has seen its largest decline in three decades, according to a new working paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Mitchell Foundation, Baker Institute seek pathways to increase carbon capture
The new project will identify policies and actions to facilitate the capture and storage or use of carbon dioxide.
Baker Institute's Norman: Election a pivot point for US immigration policy
A Joe Biden presidency would “roll back many of the Trump administration’s attacks" on immigrants to the United States, but that may not be enough to pacify critics of the Obama administration's immigration policies who seek new protected pathways to citizenship, according to a new brief from an expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Fossil fuel subsidies need global reform, say Baker Institute experts
HOUSTON – (Oct. 22, 2020) – Fossil fuels still receive most of the international government support provided to the energy sector despite their “well-known environmental and public health damage,” according to new research from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
