Policy Pulse (July 21, 2021)

Welcome to the&#160;Policy Pulse&#160;- a breakdown summary of some of the most compelling recent reports to come out of think tanks from around the world. This edition of the Policy Pulse will be recorded as an episode of the Policy People Podcast. You can find all the links to the reports mentioned here in the show notes or in the newsletter.<br/><br/>Thank you to&#160;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasanka-kanuparthi-2561a116/">Sasanka Kanuparthi</a>&#160;for curating this edition of Policy Pulse.<br/><br/>Can the Biden administration keep US-Turkey tensions in check?<br/><br/>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;What should the Biden administration do to maintain influence over Turkey without triggering a new crisis? Following tensions with Western powers, Turkey is now keen to stabilize relations while retaining controversial policies. Biden's rhetoric thus far has centered on the deterioration of human rights and democracy under Erdogan, his anti-LGBTQI+ stance, and crackdowns on demonstrations. However, the bilateral meeting in June reflected the optics of dialogue and was devoid of timelines on outcomes. Nicholas Danforth argues the U.S. approach must be conditional upon Turkey&#8217;s corrective actions in the future. Read more about the changing bilateral dynamics in <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-cool-cautious-calm-us-turkey-relations-six-months-into-the-biden-administration/">this Brookings report</a>.<br/><br/>Can US assistance encourage countries to transition away from fossil fuel subsidies?<br/><br/>Many countries are subsidizing fossil fuels to keep their local economies ticking, resulting in financial constraints and overconsumption. The Biden administration&#8217;s efforts to disincentivize domestic fuel subsidies is seen as a step towards decarbonization and meeting Paris Climate Agreement goals. Researchers believe that it could be replicated at the international level through US leadership on the issue. They analyze the impact of consumption subsidies on global fuel