Past Grants

Zack Cooper will research and write a book exploring how major powers revise their defense policies in response to perceived changes in the balance of power. He will draw on historical case studies to illuminate how the United States and China might respond to the evolution of the global security environment.

Justine Hastings will direct the research and publications program of the Rhode Island Innovative Policy Lab. The lab will link data on educational outcomes, employment and earnings, and enrollment in public assistance programs in order to create opportunities to assess the effectiveness of various initiatives, including job training, nutritional assistance, and paid parental leave. The project’s findings will appear in a series of reports and policy briefs for state officials.

Edward Glaeser, Lawrence Summers, and Benjamin Austin will examine why the percentage of employed working-age Americans has been declining and consider what policy options could be pursued to increase employment. They will analyze census data over time and across geographic regions to identify patterns of employment and test a number of hypotheses that have been offered to explain declining employment rates, including reduced demand for labor, mismatches between the skills employers demand and the skills individuals can supply, and programs that can create disincentives for employment. The project’s findings will appear in a report and a series of shorter op-ed articles.

Robert Johnston will examine the geopolitical implications of the possibility that global demand for oil will peak or even decline. He will develop a framing document covering the issue of peak oil demand, convene a workshop of analysts from supply- and demand-side firms to debate the key variables affecting future demand, undertake modeling to construct scenarios, and analyze the geopolitical consequences of potential alternative futures. The project’s findings will appear in a report and a series of issue briefs.

Chris Miller will research and write a book that explores the potential for a larger Russian role in Asia through an examination of Moscow’s past efforts to project its influence into the region. He will examine and analyze secondary Russian- and English-language source materials and conduct archival work in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and other cities in the Russian Far East.

David Dilegge will edit the Small Wars Journal, a web-based periodical that publishes research and analysis on the challenges of coping with irregular warfare and stabilization operations.

Brink Lindsey and Steven Teles will explore how interest groups capture the regulatory process in ways that can stifle economic growth and limit upward mobility. Building on the findings in their book, The Captured Economy: How the Powerful Enrich Themselves, Slow Down Growth, and Increase Inequality, they will identify examples of what they call “regressive regulation” and explore policy solutions to counteract it.

Raffaello Pantucci will research and write a book examining the extent to which China is succeeding in projecting influence in Central Asia.

Hillel Fradkin will research and write a book exploring the historical roots, nature, and possible evolution of the Sunni-Shia conflict that is destabilizing the Middle East and South Asia. He will examine the contemporary conflict in light of similar struggles in earlier historical periods.