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.
The U.S. needs a new safety net | Angela Rachidi
AEI Senior Fellow Angela Rachidi joins host Nic Dunn to discuss benefit cliffs, the Upward Mobility Act, and whether state-led innovation could help more families achieve self-reliance through things like empowerment accounts.
The roadmap to restore trust in elections | Matthew Weil & Derek Monson
The conversation covers California’s ballot counting process, why states should learn from one another, a new survey on voter confidence, and why transparency, evidence, and citizen engagement remain essential to maintaining trust in American elections.
Rebuilding trust in America’s elections | Ben Ginsberg & Bill Duncan
The conversation explores the constitutional role of states in election administration, the limits of federal authority, the importance of institutional trust, and why federalism may offer a better framework for addressing election concerns moving forward.
What the Declaration of Independence still teaches us | Jay Lapeyre & Lawson Bader
Their conversation explores individual dignity, natural rights, constitutional self-government, and how a renewed focus on America’s founding principles could help reduce political division and strengthen civic culture for the next 250 years.
Can a return to federalism fix our politics? | Rep. Ken Ivory & Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost
In this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn speaks with two Utah representatives, Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost and Rep. Ken Ivory, about polarization, congressional dysfunction, the role of states as laboratories of democracy, and why shifting more decisions to local communities could improve both governance and civic trust.
Who should protect kids online? | Joel Thayer & Chris Marchese
As lawmakers debate how to protect children online, a major legal and constitutional question is emerging: should app stores be required to verify users’ ages and involve parents before minors download apps?
Are we thinking about AI the wrong way? | Bennett Borden
Many conversations about artificial intelligence focus on fear, risk, and worst-case scenarios. But what if we’re asking the wrong questions?
Is the Supreme Court as political as we think? | Sarah Isgur
The U.S. Supreme Court is often portrayed as just another political battleground. But that is a fundamental misunderstanding of its role.
America’s safety net needs an aspirational vision
America’s safety net wasn’t designed all at once. It was built piece by piece over decades, and that may be part of the problem.
The U.S. needs a new safety net | Angela Rachidi
AEI Senior Fellow Angela Rachidi joins host Nic Dunn to discuss benefit cliffs, the Upward Mobility Act, and whether state-led innovation could help more families achieve self-reliance through things like empowerment accounts.
The roadmap to restore trust in elections | Matthew Weil & Derek Monson
The conversation covers California’s ballot counting process, why states should learn from one another, a new survey on voter confidence, and why transparency, evidence, and citizen engagement remain essential to maintaining trust in American elections.
Rebuilding trust in America’s elections | Ben Ginsberg & Bill Duncan
The conversation explores the constitutional role of states in election administration, the limits of federal authority, the importance of institutional trust, and why federalism may offer a better framework for addressing election concerns moving forward.