Policy Matters

Recent years have seen huge increases in American oil and gas production, with dramatic consequences for the U.S. economy and international energy markets. How has this new production affected global prices? Will it alter the relationship between the United States and traditional energy producers, particularly in the Middle East? And how have concerns about climate change affected energy policies in producing countries, notably Saudi Arabia? In this episode, Jim Krane, the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow for Energy Studies at the Baker Institute, discusses the American energy revolution, the response of OPEC and traditional producers, and how global energy politics may be changing.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a cornerstone of U.S. international trade and investment policy since 1994. But now its future is in doubt as President Trump has made a priority of renegotiating the agreement with Canada and Mexico. How important is NAFTA to the United States? How does the Trump administration’s stance on NAFTA reflect its broader approach to international trade and investment policy? Does this approach represent a retreat from what many call the “international liberal order”? In this episode, Robert Zoellick, former president of the World Bank, U.S. deputy secretary of state, and U.S. trade representative, speaks about NAFTA’s place in the U.S. economy and the potentially changing U.S. role in the international economic system.

In this age of political polarization and social division, what is the best way for policy experts to communicate with the general public? How can these experts gain the trust of audiences often suspicious or polarized? How can experts best approach sensitive subjects — such as needle exchange — with social conservatives?   In this episode, Bill Martin, the Harry and Hazel Chavanne Senior Fellow in Religion and Public Policy and director of the Baker Institute’s Drug Policy Program, discusses best practices for experts and novices to effectively communicate ideas. He also speaks about his relationship with Billy Graham, about whom he wrote the highly regarded biography, A Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story.

On March 6, Texas Democrats and Republicans will vote to nominate candidates for the November general elections. How important are these primaries? What are the important trends and individual races to watch? What are the odds of a “blue wave” hitting in Texas in the fall? In this episode, Mark Jones, Baker Institute fellow in political science and Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies, discusses the intra-party politics and important races in Texas at the local, state and national levels.

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.

Venezuela is in the midst of economic collapse and political crisis. Inflation is skyrocketing. Average Venezuelans are facing shortages of necessities such as food and medicine. Oil production — the bulwark of the Venezuelan economy — is cratering. And the political stalemate between increasingly autocratic President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition continues to simmer. In this podcast, Francisco Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Baker Institute, discusses Venezuela’s ongoing economic, political and humanitarian crises, and how the Trump administration has responded.

Vaccination against infectious disease is one of the wonders of modern science, preventing millions of deaths per year worldwide. Yet across the country, a movement of so-called “anti-vaxxers,” who claim that some routine childhood vaccinations cause autism, has grown and some American parents are refusing to have their children vaccinated. Why are vaccinations important to children? And is there any merit to the claims of the anti-vaxx movement?  In this podcast, Peter J. Hotez, Baker Institute fellow in disease and poverty, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Children’s Hospital endowed chair of tropical pediatrics, discusses vaccines, the anti-vaxx movement and its potential impacts on the health of children.

On July 1, tens of millions of Mexicans will go to the polls. They will elect a president, a congress, and thousands of state and local officials. Who are the major candidates for the presidency? What are the major parties contesting the congress? What will be the election’s salient issues? What are the stakes for the United States? In this podcast, Tony Payan, the Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and director of the Mexico Center, and Enrique Quezada, graduate fellow for the Baker Institute’s Mexico Center and host of “Mexico Centered,” discuss the candidates, the parties, the platforms and the potential ramifications of the election for Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico relationship.

One year into his presidency, Donald J. Trump still hasn’t named a White House science and technology advisor. What does this tell us about his administration’s approach to science? How important is the input of scientists into federal policy? And what can scientists do to make sure their voices are heard? In this podcast, Neal Lane, who served as science and technology advisor to President Bill Clinton and is currently a senior fellow at the Baker Institute, discusses the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the importance of science for policymakers.

There are approximately 74 million children in the United States — 21 percent of whom live in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold. What can we do to ensure that these children start out in life healthy and ready to succeed in school? In this episode, Quianta Moore, Baker Institute fellow in child health policy, discusses empirically based policies to advance the health of children. She also discusses child health across socioeconomic lines and her recent work as a part of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Task Force on Equity. The task force report can be found here.