Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy
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Funding the Future of Safe Drinking Water
July 13, 2026 • 1 min. read
About Us
The Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy was founded in October 2009 upon the request of President George H.W. Bush to honor Robert A. Mosbacher Sr., who served as secretary of commerce from 1989 to 1992. The Mosbacher Institute’s Global Value Chains Program applies policy, economics, logistics, and supply chain management approaches to emerging issues of today’s global value chains. The Borders and Migration Program conducts outreach activities and supports multidisciplinary research related to understanding the global and local impacts of cross-border migration and trade. The Institute also publishes policy briefs (The Takeaway) and longer reports (White Papers), conducts original and sponsored research, and supports students through graduate education, programming, and internships.
Focus Areas
Trade & Global Value Chains
The Mosbacher Institute is committed to identifying policies and practices that promote global market integration. Global market integration involves increased economic interdependence among nations and regions arising from reduced trade barriers and improved coordination of fiscal and monetary policies. It has been shown to foster economic growth, raise living standards, and promote world peace. Through our Global Value Chains (GVC) Program we conduct and facilitate interdisciplinary education and research on the emerging issues that GVCs are facing. In our interconnected world, policymakers need to know how to harness the powerful tools of trade to improve living standards here in the United States and in emerging economies.
Borders & Migration
The increasing movement of people, goods, and ideas across geographical borders has put border states under significant pressure to adapt to changing realities. Our interdisciplinary Borders & Migration Program is a research consortium that conducts and shares research on both local and global impacts of international migration and cultural and economic exchange. Through a series of evidence-driven capacity-building efforts, policy outreach activities, high-impact learning opportunities, and scholarly engagement and exchange, the Mosbacher Institute seeks to shape a constructive public debate and to increase the effectiveness of policy choices.
Faculty Coordinator:
Aileen Teague
Energy
The Mosbacher Institute takes a fact-based, economic approach to comparing the world’s energy options, evaluating the true costs of energy, encouraging the coordination of global policy responses to energy security, and promoting smarter energy policy. Sound energy policy that balances cheap, clean, and secure energy, while relying extensively on markets, is an essential foundation for economic growth.
Governance & Public Services
The Mosbacher Institute aims to identify good governance practices and policies in our domestic economy, and to propose solutions to correct failures and inefficiencies in the provision of public services. Good governance increases the efficiency of the public sector and lowers the costs of doing business for the private sector, thereby increasing America’s competitiveness in the global marketplace. The Institute focuses on governance in such key public policy areas as education, health, environment, and emergency management.
Faculty Coordinator:
Lori L. Taylor
Mosbacher Institute Team
Texas Smart Schools
TXSmartSchools is a resource for Texans interested in school effectiveness and efficiency. This resource is administered by Texas A&M University and managed by the Mosbacher Institute for Trade Economics and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service in College Station. Dr. Lori Taylor is the Principal Investigator for the project.
Learn More About Texas Smart SchoolsCharles Blaschke Education Technology Archive
The Charles Blaschke Education Technology Archive holds the collected business and personal research papers of Mr. Charles Blaschke (1941-2018). Mr. Blaschke was the President and Founder of Education Turnkey Systems, Inc. (TURNKEY). Mr. Blaschke gave his papers to the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service to provide researchers with rare, historical documentation on the evolution of federal education technology policy and financial support.
Learn More About the Education Technology ArchiveMosbacher Whitepapers
December 2025: Decentralization and the Future of Syria: Economic Recovery, Governance, and Peacebuilding Across Regions
By Amy Austin Holmes, Hadeel Oueis, and Samantha ScaringeWhat progress has been made in reunifying Syria one year after the fall of the Assad regime? How do the competing governance models of the interim government in Damascus and the Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria hold up to best practices on economic recovery, governance, and peacebuilding? This White Paper examines these questions, highlighting the critical role of inclusive, decentralized governance for reunification and recovery. For example, the World Bank estimates that if women’s employment matched that of men, Syria’s long-run GDP per capita could increase by up to 74%. Moreover, post-conflict states with at least 30% women in parliament reduce the risk of conflict resurgence. In Syria’s recent parliamentary elections, key regions of the country were excluded and only 4% of those selected were women—less than under the Assad regime. By contrast, the Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria has made significant strides in including women in local governance structures. The paper highlights the Aleppo Agreement as a potential model for unifying other contested regions of Syria. It argues that Syria’s most viable path to unity and prosperity lies in adopting inclusive governance frameworks like the Aleppo Agreement, which balances localized autonomy with cooperative security arrangements, thereby reducing fragmentation and fostering sustainable peace.
June 2026: Funding the Future of Safe Drinking Water: Fiscal Sustainability Amidst Growing Service Provision Challenges
By Robert A. Greer and Tyler A. ScottThe success or failure of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) over the next 50 years will hinge on one question: who pays for safe drinking water and how? Recent EPA estimates place the 20-year capital improvement need at $625 billion, while traditional federal grant programs, once the backbone of utility funding, now supply a shrinking share of what’s needed. This Takeaway explores the financial pressures water utilities face as per-capita water use falls but costs and regulatory requirements climb, straining the conventional “user pays” model. It also examines promising new solutions: from dedicated state revenues and bond guarantees to payments for ecosystem services and permanent low-income assistance. Understanding how we finance safe drinking water is critical for sustaining reliable, equitable service for generations to come.