Policy Matters

The Arab Spring, a series of popular uprisings that shook the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, saw citizens across the region call for greater representation and more accountability from their governments. Years later, have Arab governments delivered on these popular demands, opening social and political participation to a wider range of citizens? Or, have divisions and inequalities become even more deeply cemented in these nations? Our guest in this episode is Dr. Kadir Yildirim, a Fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute and an expert in political Islam and religion in the Middle East. He has also extensively studied the dynamics of pluralism in the Arab World following the Arab Spring.

When studying the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf, experts often focus on their vast energy exports that have supported global energy needs. However, domestic demand for energy in these nations is relatively underexplored. Indeed, Gulf nations over the past decades have witnessed high levels of domestic energy consumption. What are the resulting consequences of this, both economically and environmentally, and how have these nations worked to curb excessive consumption? Our guest in this episode is Dr. Jim Krane, a fellow in energy and geopolitics at the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies. Jim’s recent book “Energy Kingdoms, Oil and Political Survival in the Persian Gulf” addresses these very questions.

Political turmoil in Venezuela has captured global attention. As President Trump and numerous other nations have recently voiced support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó over “de facto” President Nicolás Maduro, many are left wondering what the country’s future holds. What factors have contributed to Venezuela’s uncertain fate? Specifically, how has the nation’s oil sector affected Venezuela’s economy and foreign relations, and what are possible paths out of the country’s humanitarian crisis? Our guest in this episode is Dr. Francisco Monaldi, the Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy in the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies. Dr. Monaldi is an expert on the Venezuelan economy and a frequent guest on Policy Matters.

For some time now, there has been immense public debate over how to address the harmful effects of single-use plastics on our environment. Plastics can seem indispensable in our everyday lives, but disposing of them can also have many negative consequences. As countries, states and cities have proposed measures such as banning plastic straws to counteract these consequences, what must policymakers keep in mind when addressing the issue of single use plastics? Our guest in this episode is Dr. Rachel A. Meidl, fellow in energy and environment at the Baker Institute.   She has recently published a Baker Institute issue brief on plastic waste management.  

Every politician claims to oppose corruption, which can mean everything from a small bribe to a policeman to a multimillion dollar kickback to a government official.   And yet it remains a fact of life in many countries around the world.   What is corruption?   Why should we worry about it?   What are the causes of corruption?   And what are the most effective ways to combat it?   This episode’s guest is Dr. Paul Lagunes, the 2018 Board of Advisors Visiting Fellow at the Baker Institute.  He is also an assistant professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.   His research on the political economy of development examines the issue of corruption with a focus on the Americas.

On November 6, Americans went to the polls, electing dozens of newcomers to the US House and Senate. Roughly ten of them have backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM).   How will the scientific backgrounds of these new congresswomen and -men shape how they look at policy?   Will the newcomers have any impact in the new congress?   This episode’s guest is Dr. Neal Lane, who served in the Clinton Administration as assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.     He has also been director of the National Science Foundation and a member of the National Science Board.   Dr. Lane is Professor of Physics and Astronomy Emeritus at Rice University and senior fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute.

Whether we use Uber to get across town or  Airbnb to book a room when we travel, we are participating in a phenomenon called the “sharing economy.”   What is the “sharing economy?”   How important is it to Americans today?   How is it handled under the Federal tax code? In this episode, Dr. Joyce Beebe,  Fellow in Public Finance at the Baker Institute addresses these and other questions about the “sharing economy.”

China is many things: an economic giant, a rising power in Asia and beyond, and a potential geopolitical rival to the United States. But it is also what might be called the world’s first high-tech autocracy, deploying state-of-the-art technology to monitor increasingly large aspects of its citizens' lives. What are the future prospects for individual freedom in China? Will China’s high-tech approach to social control spread to other countries? In this episode, Steve Lewis, the C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow at the Baker Institute, discusses how the Chinese government has implemented technology to monitor Chinese citizens, and the implications of these efforts for these citizens around the globe.

A number of Middle Eastern regimes have been touting moderate Islam to appeal to Western governments.  How successful have these efforts been?   Has there been any substantial domestic impact?   Whatis moderate Islam and what role if any should the United States and other Western countries play in supporting it?   Our guest for this podcast is Dr. Annelle Sheline. She is the Zwan Postdoctoral Fellow here at the Institute.  

     Houston is one of the most dynamic but also unequal major cities in the United States.   How does this inequality impact the lives of less-advantaged Houstonians?    What can be done to help them?   How important is early childhood development in addressing inequality?           In this episode, Dr. Quianta Moore, Baker Institute Fellow in Child Health Policy, discusses these questions.  Last month, Houston mayor Sylvester Turner declared October 2 “Dr. Quianta Moore Day,” in recognition of her efforts to understand and improve early childhood development.