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. Our stakeholders are the Bush School, its faculty and students, Texas A&M University, the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, and our donors, along with business leaders, visiting experts, and public policymakers.
Philosophy & Mission | Focus Areas | Resources | Institute Governance
Philosophy & Mission
“We live in a new world of global markets and increasingly diffuse political and economic power. We must rethink the domestic implications of these changes and chart the way forward.”
– Robert A. Mosbacher Sr. –
The mission of the Mosbacher Institute is to address the most pressing economic challenges confronting the United States and world economies by conducting policy-relevant research; providing education; and engaging stakeholders in the areas of trade, economics, and public policy. The Institute is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to understanding and explaining the complex relationship between the United States and the rest of the world. We value open trade policies, data-supported research and policy analysis, government transparency, and economic efficiency.
Focus Areas
The Mosbacher Institute’s four core focus areas are designed to support the Institute’s research and educational objectives relating to trade, economics, and public policy:
- Trade and 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 promote the stable development of emerging countries.
- Borders and 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 research consortium aims to develop thorough evidence on both global and local impacts of cross-border 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.
- 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 and 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.
A distinguishing feature of the Mosbacher Institute focus areas is their integrated design. Each area is not a discrete operation, but contributes to the broader Institute goal of finding inter-related policy solutions. Together, the four areas create an environment where specialists from all of these areas cooperate to solve concrete policy problems using evidence-based research and qualitative analysis. The Institute’s design links fields of knowledge in ways that mirror the needs of the global future.
The four core focus areas have common features. Each area has a coordinator who is a full-time Bush School faculty member actively engaged in teaching and research. Educating tomorrow’s public servants is a critical part of the mission of Bush School faculty. Each of the focus areas contributes to the Mosbacher Institute’s policy workshops, speaker series, The Takeaway policy briefs, conferences, and student events. They are also involved in recruiting sponsors and topics for area-related Capstone Seminars.
Resources
The Mosbacher Institute activities are funded through the contributions of Bush School and Mosbacher Institute benefactors. As additional funding becomes available, we look forward to increasing our education and research activities and making a greater impact on public policy. Please consider making a contribution today. Learn more about how to give to the Mosbacher Institute.
Institute Governance
The Mosbacher Institute is directed by Raymond Robertson, who also holds the Helen and Roy Ryu Chair in Economics and Government, and sits on The Bush School Executive Committee. The Bush School dean and its Advisory Board facilitate linkages with other Bush School and Texas A&M University units and with experts in trade, economics, and related policy areas. The Institute is reviewed annually by the dean and periodically by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research of Texas A&M University. These reviews provide assessment and recommendations regarding operations, academic productivity, financial status and planning, and other pertinent parameters.
