Episodios

  • What it's like to face safety-net 'benefits cliffs' that can discourage work and opportunity

    What it's like to face safety-net 'benefits cliffs' that can discourage work and opportunity
    Jul 30 2024
    Usually, getting paid more at work is a good thing. But for some people on government assistance, increasing the amount of income they earn can actually make them worse off. On this episode, we talk with someone who has experienced the safety-net benefits cliff to understand how it can affect decisions about work and economic opportunities.

    Nic Dunn sits down with Marcella Patiño and Josh Nelson of Circles Salt Lake. Marcella is a Circle Leader who has faced benefits cliffs that discouraged her from pursuing work opportunities. Josh is an Ally who volunteers to help participants navigate poverty to achieve self-sufficiency through sustained work.

    Show notes:
    • A firsthand account of overcoming ‘benefits cliffs’ to escape poverty - Sutherland Institute
    • How programs to help the poor can harm upward mobility - Sutherland Institute
    • Why America needs a new welfare reform movement - Sutherland Institute
    • Removing work disincentives in the social safety net will strengthen upward mobility and the economy - Sutherland Institute


    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 defendingideas.org.
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    35 m
  • How to win over religious freedom critics

    How to win over religious freedom critics
    Jul 23 2024
    Every Pioneer Day, Utahns commemorate the pioneers who fled religious persecution to create a better, freer life in the West. This week, we're taking a special look at the current state of religious freedom to answer this question: How can we champion legal protections for religious freedom in a way that wins the support of critics?

    Nic Dunn welcomes a special panel of guests to profile Utah's unique approach to advancing religious freedom legislation and to articulate a model for the rest of the nation:
    • Utah State Sen. Todd Weiler
    • Utah State Rep. Mike Petersen
    • Robin Fretwell Wilson, Professor of Law at the University of Illinois
    • Bill Duncan, Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow for Sutherland Institute
    Show notes:
    • Views on Religion Issue Brief
    • Faith and the Climate of Freedom report



    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 defendingideas.org.
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    52 m
  • Applying a constitutional lens to election challenges in Utah

    Applying a constitutional lens to election challenges in Utah
    Jul 16 2024
    Utah's primary election was on June 25, but there are still ongoing disputes over the outcomes of two high-profile races. On this episode, we equip you to use a constitutional lens to evaluate any instance in which an election outcome is questioned or even challenged.

    Host Nic Dunn sits down with Sutherland Institute's Derek Monson to discuss Utah's Republican primary race for governor, which incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox won by roughly 37,000 votes. They discuss whether the ongoing challenges by the Phil Lyman campaign pass constitutional and legal muster.

    The discussion also dives into Utah's 2nd Congressional primary race and some of the questions around Utah's vote-by-mail system with special guest Tammy Patrick. Tammy is the CEO of Programs for the Election Center at the National Association of Election Officials.

    Show notes:
    • Policy | Elections - Sutherland Institute
    • Election Center - Home Page
    • Primary election reforms that can build public trust - Sutherland Institute


    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 defendingideas.org.
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    1 h
  • America's last great hope

    America's last great hope
    Jul 9 2024
    If you’re frustrated with politics, you’re not alone. But there’s a way to fix America’s broken political culture, and it’s more straightforward than you think.

    Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in his 2022 State of the State address that “if America is the last great hope of the world, then Utah is the last great hope of America.” That’s because in many ways, Utah is the best example of how to successfully apply the ideals of America’s founding – coupled with the role of strong civic institutions – to the political and policy challenges of the day.

    On this episode, Nic Dunn talks with Sutherland’s president and CEO, Rick Larsen, about the organization's newly released statement of principles. The statement reminds Utahns and Americans of the ideas that have helped make the United States the greatest country in the world. They argue that a recommitment to these ideas is the only way out of our current political culture of contempt and polarization.

    Show notes:
    • Our Mission - Sutherland Institute


    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 defendingideas.org.
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    55 m
  • Supreme Court's Chevron decision reins in federal bureaucracy in a win for the Constitution

    Supreme Court's Chevron decision reins in federal bureaucracy in a win for the Constitution
    Jul 2 2024
    Federal government agencies will have a little less power thanks to a new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. Will this be a good thing for Americans?

    On this episode, Nic Dunn talks with Deseret News Assistant Managing Editor and reporter Kelsey Dallas and Sutherland Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan to break down the court's decision on Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. The decision overturned a long-standing practice called the Chevron doctrine (wherein courts defer to federal agencies when interpreting federal law).


    Show notes:
    • What is the Chevron doctrine? Why does Supreme Court ruling matter? – Deseret News
    • New Supreme Court decision overturning Chevron a win for separation of powers - Sutherland Institute
    • Kelsey Dallas - Deseret News



    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 defendingideas.org.
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    43 m
  • Primary election reforms that can build public trust

    Primary election reforms that can build public trust
    Jun 25 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 Nic Dunn sits down with R Street Institute’s Matt Germer and Sutherland Institute’s 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:
    • The Election Trust Forum - Sutherland Institute
    • Policy | Elections - Sutherland Institute
    • Matt Germer - R Street Institute
    • This primary election season, recognize that secure elections require public trust - Sutherland Institute

    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 defendingideas.org.
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    47 m
  • Why the lawsuit challenging Utah's ed choice program is on weak footing

    Why the lawsuit challenging Utah's ed choice program is on weak footing
    Jun 18 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 Christine Cooke Fairbanks and Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan – join the show to offer a robust defense of the constitutionality and policy merits of Utah Fits All.

    Host 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:
    • Policy objections to scholarship program don’t affect its constitutionality - Sutherland Institute
    • Defending education choice the right way - Sutherland Institute

    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 defendingideas.org.
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    42 m
  • The Two-Parent Privilege, with Melissa Kearney

    The Two-Parent Privilege, with Melissa Kearney
    Jun 11 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, Nic Dunn sits down with Melissa Kearney to discuss her new book The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind. 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 professor of economics at the University of Maryland and a nonresident Senior Fellow at Brookings.

    Show notes:
    • Amazon.com: The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind - Kearney, Melissa
    • Kearney, Melissa | ECON l Department of Economics l University of Maryland (umd.edu)
    • Policy | Family - Sutherland Institute


    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 defendingideas.org.
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    50 m