Policy
Constitutional Law
At the core of the American Dream is the belief that hard work and commitment can yield a better life, the pursuit of which is possible thanks to the American free enterprise system – the greatest engine of prosperity in the history of humanity. But too many Americans striving to escape poverty still face obstacles to realizing that dream.
Through the Work & Opportunity Initiative, Sutherland Institute seeks to remove barriers or disincentives to work and other opportunities for economic progression that affect families in Utah and beyond. Landmark research, compelling multimedia, powerful storytelling and strategic partnerships combine to advance policy reforms that make the American Dream more attainable – protecting Utah and the United States as the land of opportunity for generations to come.
Constitutional Law
Securing the American institutions of self-government – such as free and fair elections – in a republic is a civic responsibility of every American citizen. It is an essential part of ensuring a new birth of freedom for future generations.
If government derives its power from the “consent of the governed,” as the Declaration of Independence states, then that consent must have a mechanism for being regularly expressed and renewed.
This is the role that secure elections play in America’s constitutional order: helping ensure the peaceful transfer of power and the opportunity of citizens to exercise their civic voice.
Sutherland Institute offers sound research and principled analysis on voting methods and election security. We do this to promote trusted and trustworthy voting systems and elevate the way the state of Utah assesses and refines this crucial process. We seek to protect public confidence in Utah’s elections by promoting positive reforms and increasing voters’ understanding of the security and access offered by Utah’s election procedures.
Conversations
How the Mahmoud v. Taylor SCOTUS case will impact parents and schools #utpol #education #scotus
Utah Fits All – protecting religious options #utpol #religion #education
Mahmoud v. Taylor – Part 3: What Should Happen
Mahmoud v. Taylor – Part 2: The Arguments
Mahmoud v. Taylor – Part 1: Case Overview
How religious freedom benefits everyone #utpol #religion
Parental Rights on Trial: What’s at Stake in Education
The incorrect use of "unity" in today's political climate #utpol
How the Mahmoud v. Taylor SCOTUS case will impact parents and schools #utpol #education #scotus
Utah Fits All – protecting religious options #utpol #religion #education
Insights & Takeaways
InsightsObscured guidance from federal agencies creates an accountability gap. What can the state do?
Sutherland recently testified to legislative panel about the need for transparency in guidance provided by federal agencies to state and local governments in Utah.
CommentaryImpacts as far as the eye can see: Utah’s public lands lawsuit
A new dawn of federalism may be coming to our states, particularly as it pertains to federal lands. The potential impacts are quite literally vast.
InsightsNinth Circuit slaps down California’s denial of special ed funds for religious schools
Following Supreme Court precedent, the court holds that excluding religious schools from a grant program is unconstitutional discrimination against religion and a violation of religious freedom.
CommentaryThe Supreme Court Shouldn’t Let The Federal Government Control 70 Percent Of A State’s Land
The court should accept Utah’s case and give the state a chance to make its argument against this federal overreach.
CommentaryHow to stop worrying about presidential elections and learn to love federalism
Voters, pundits, and elected officials themselves should embrace a healthier and more constitutionally grounded alternative to the current rhetoric.
InsightsAs election season winds down, the U.S. Supreme Court term has just begun
The Supreme Court is being petitioned to consider three cases on religious freedom. Here's why the court should take them on.
CommentaryUtah considers a modest step in restoring federalism – and more can be done
Utah has an opportunity to strengthen the framers’ vision with a bill aimed at restoring some of the much-needed balance between the states and Washington.
InsightsScholarship lawsuit might be looking for (legal) meaning in all the wrong places
“Original public meaning” is the best standard for understanding the law. It focuses on the actual language of the law, not on the subjective intent of those who had a role in creating it.
InsightsWhy the Ninth Circuit unanimously tossed the Huntsman tithing lawsuit
Four judges in concurring opinion say the case was a “transparent fight about the current course of the Church masquerading as a civil lawsuit.”