25 GIU 2024 · A question that often comes up in an election year is whether to make any changes to voting and election policy. On this episode we survey different approaches to the primary election process, with a focus on how to improve the voter experience and increase public trust.  Host https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ sits down with R Street Institute’s https://www.rstreet.org/people/matt-germer/ and Sutherland Institute’s https://sutherlandinstitute.org/derek-monson/ to check in on the civic health of elections in Utah and around the country while discussing possible reforms. Matt is the policy director of the governance program at R Street, and Derek is the chief growth officer for Sutherland.   Show notes:  - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/the-election-trust-forum/  - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/elections/ - https://www.rstreet.org/people/matt-germer/  - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/this-primary-election-season-recognize-that-secure-elections-require-public-trust/  Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

18 GIU 2024 · A new lawsuit is threatening to take away Utah's education choice program. But is the challenge on solid legal footing? On this episode, we examine the constitutional claims of the Utah Education Association's new lawsuit against the Utah Fits All scholarship program. Two Sutherland Institute scholars – Education Policy Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.cmail20.com/t/y-i-myhtilt-l-j/ and Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.cmail20.com/t/y-i-myhtilt-l-t/ – join the show to offer a robust defense of the constitutionality and policy merits of Utah Fits All. Host https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ also talks with a Utah mom of four whose family is among the recipients of this scholarship. She describes how her family is counting on these funds to help customize and enhance education for her kids.  Show notes: - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/policy-objections-to-scholarship-program-dont-affect-its-constitutionality/ - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/defending-education-choice-the-right-way/ Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

11 GIU 2024 · Most policy debates about upward mobility cover things like education, workforce programs, or tax policy. Too often, they ignore what's actually the most important variable that impacts outcomes for the next generation: family.  On this episode, https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ sits down with https://econ.umd.edu/facultyprofile/kearney/melissa to discuss her new book https://www.amazon.com/Two-Parent-Privilege-Americans-Stopped-Getting/dp/0226817784 In the discussion she profiles the evidence showing that children who grow up in married two-parent households have better outcomes. She also talks about how marriage rates have dropped significantly and unequally across different groups of Americans in recent years.  Kearney is a https://econ.umd.edu/facultyprofile/kearney/melissa at the University of Maryland and a nonresident https://www.brookings.edu/people/melissa-s-kearney/.  Show notes: - https://www.amazon.com/Two-Parent-Privilege-Americans-Stopped-Getting/dp/0226817784 - https://econ.umd.edu/facultyprofile/kearney/melissa - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/policy-family/ Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

4 GIU 2024 · Do parents have the right to know what their children are learning in school? Public school curriculum transparency has become a hotly debated topic in recent years. But there may actually be a consensus approach that helps make curriculum transparency broadly popular across the political spectrum. Sutherland Education Policy Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.org/christine-cooke-fairbanks/ returns to the show to dive into the evidence and make an argument for why curriculum transparency is a needed reform today. She tells host https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ why transparency can actually be beneficial for parents, teachers, and students alike.  Show notes: - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/too-little-transparency-or-parent-engagement/ - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-curriculum-transparency/ - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/christine-cooke-fairbanks/ - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/policy-education/ Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

28 MAG 2024 · It feels like there is very little common ground on most policy and political issues these days. But poverty could be an area where there is more consensus than you might think. On this episode we profile seven common ground solutions to poverty that should reshape debate about the health of the American Dream. https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ is joined by two experts from the https://www.illinoispolicy.org/, Head of Policy https://www.illinoispolicy.org/author/jbandoch/ and Executive Director of the https://www.illinoispolicy.org/category/poverty-solutions/ Dr. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/author/ekornegay/, to discuss the state of opportunity today and policy reforms needed to strengthen upward mobility for Americans striving to escape poverty.  Show notes: - https://www.illinoispolicy.org/reports/common-ground-solutions-to-empower-chicagos-poor-a-model-for-americas-cities-2/ - https://www.illinoispolicy.org/reports/modeling-potential-income-and-welfare-assistance-benefits-in-illinois/ - https://www.illinoispolicy.org/author/jbandoch/ - https://www.illinoispolicy.org/author/ekornegay/ Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

21 MAG 2024 · Is religion's impact on society overall a force for good? Some say no. A https://scienceandbeliefinsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/UoB-YouGov.-Science-and-Religion-Survey-Report.-8-Dec-2023-.pdf shows that 40% of Americans thought religion’s influence was more negative than positive.   On this episode, we explore new research that catalogs how far-reaching the positive impacts of religion are for individuals, families and communities.   Sutherland Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.org/william-c-duncan/ returns to the show to discuss his new paper: https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-what-good-does-religion-do/ In this new report for Sutherland, Bill outlines the overwhelming evidence showing how huge swaths of the nation’s social services delivery are only possible thanks to religiously motivated organizations and individuals.   Bill and host https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ discuss how even individuals who don’t participate in faith congregations actually benefit from the broad social benefits of religion.   Show notes:  - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-what-good-does-religion-do/  - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/policy-religious-freedom/  Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

14 MAG 2024 · College campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas continue to make headlines. Do these protests stand in opposition to American principles? On this episode we discuss the proper role of formative institutions like universities, what the Constitution teaches us about the right way to express political views, and how to assess the recent protests through a civic and constitutional lens.  https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ is joined by AEI Senior Fellow https://www.aei.org/profile/beth-akers/ and Sutherland Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.org/william-c-duncan/.  Show notes: - https://www.aei.org/education/columbia-students-arent-protesting-theyre-having-a-temper-tantrum/ - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/what-does-the-u-s-constitution-say-about-political-protests/ Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

7 MAG 2024 · Do you think you'll be able to retire comfortably in the future? This question is directly related to the ongoing debate over Social Security reform. On this episode we sit down with an expert to dispel some of the myths about the state of retirement today and offer a framework for how to fix Social Security before it's too late.  https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ is joined by American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow https://www.aei.org/profile/andrew-g-biggs/, who specializes in Social Security reform, public and private sector compensation, and state and local government pensions. Prior to AEI, Andrew served as principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration, and as an associate director of the White House National Economic Council. Show notes: - https://www.aei.org/profile/andrew-g-biggs/ - https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/retirement-system-disaster-working-people-fix - https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-dont-need-to-be-a-millionaire-to-retire-4934a470 Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

30 APR 2024 · Education choice has exploded in popularity across the nation in recent years. So why does it remain a contentious point of debate in some parts of the country?  https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ sits down with experts in two states to compare notes on differing approaches to putting more power in the hands of parents to direct how, where and in what way their children learn. https://www.johnlocke.org/about/team/dr-robert-luebke/ is the director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation in North Carolina. https://sutherlandinstitute.org/christine-cooke-fairbanks/ is the education policy fellow at Sutherland Institute.  They discuss the similarities and differences between Utah and North Carolina and the states' education choice policies, and offer a framework for how to further the cause in a productive way.  Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.

23 APR 2024 · It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat. This oft-quoted phrase has been articulated as a guiding principle by many elected officials wading into voting and election policy debates in recent years. So why has this issue been so contentious, and what’s the solution?  https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ sits down with https://www.uvu.edu/directory/employee/?id=MVdQcC9RdG9rRnhrRTZZbDZDUktmZz09, executive director of the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University, and Sutherland’s https://sutherlandinstitute.org/derek-monson/ to discuss the fault lines in the debate over voting and election policy. They equip listeners with an elevated approach to one of the most important – and contentious – issues that will likely top the news throughout the 2024 election cycle.   Show notes:  - https://sutherlandinstitute.org/transcript-post-election-analysis-with-yuval-levin/  - https://www.uvu.edu/herbertinstitute/about/index.html Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit http://defendingideas.org/.