Debates about family policy often focus on an array of programs or interventions like licensed child care, pre-K or the K-12 education system. But all too often, the family itself as an optimal environment for the healthy development of young children – and a fundamental institution of civil society – gets left out of the discussion.

This week’s guest explains why we need to elevate the family as “essential infrastructure” for children and society. She also argues for better inclusion of the evidence showing which environments are truly optimal for early childhood development.

Dr. Katharine Stevens is the founder and CEO of the Center on Child and Family Policy and formerly led AEI’s early child program as a resident scholar. She joins host Nic Dunn to help recenter true pro-family policy at the core of our public debates and offer policymakers and voters a framework for a better approach.

Center on Child and Family Policy https://www.ccfp.org/

A Flawed Agenda for America's Young Children — Center on Child and Family Policy (ccfp.org) https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/a-flawed-agenda-for-americas-young-children?mkt_tok=NDc1LVBCUS05NzEAAAGNYOTuRJiPWNFe8i8ePgZ7Oo9dJdbFuGDcG42wxl0lHULxJMyL3OMGO0fdovEujeffhvbFPxJcbZvp5of7NWwl_syOyiaF6tGNky5V9haiwSLqgMKP

Does Pre-K Work? The Research on Ten Early Childhood Programs — and What it Tells Us — Center on Child and Family Policy (ccfp.org) https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/does-pre-k-work-the-research-on-ten-early-childhood-programs-and-what-it-tells-us

How a Faulty Generalization is Sabotaging Early Childhood Policy — Center on Child and Family Policy (ccfp.org) https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/how-a-faulty-generalization-is-sabotaging-early-childhood-policy

Mitt Romney says Democrats’ proposals are biased toward parents working outside home – Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/5/18/22442127/mitt-romney-child-care-didnt-realize-disadvantage-mom-stayed-home-joe-biden-american-families-plan

Parents want more time with their kids. We should find ways to help them - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/parents-want-more-time-with-their-kids-we-should-find-ways-to-help-them/

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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Many public policy debates in recent years have focused on the concept of equity, and what impact race and ethnicity have on opportunity for the next generation. This week's podcast guest believes we need to replace equity with agency, as a more compelling – and more effective – vision to help young people of all races lead successful and fulfilling lives.

Ian Rowe is the cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies, a network of character-based International Baccalaureate high schools inaugurated in the Bronx in 2022. He is also a senior fellow at @AEI and the author of Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power.

Ian joins host Nic Dunn to discuss his experiences as an educator, his assessment of the evidence of what actually helps children succeed in adulthood, and why he wrote a book to provide an alternative to the equity-based debates that so often permeate public dialogue.

Show notes:

Agency - A New Book from AEI's Ian V. Rowe https://www.thefreeframework.com/

The Privilege Hiding in Plain Sight - Ian Rowe in National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2023/10/02/the-privilege-hiding-in-plain-sight/

FREE Landing Page | American Enterprise Institute - AEI https://www.aei.org/free/

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Rabbi Chaim Zippel was in Israel with his wife and baby son on October 7, 2023 – the day of the Hamas terrorist attack. He joins host Nic Dunn to recount his experience getting his family to safety and react to the recent wave of antisemitism abroad and at home.

Sutherland Institute Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan also returns to the podcast to apply a religious freedom lens to the instances of antisemitism topping the news in the United States. The conversation reminds listeners of America's founding principles, providing a framework to renew a core principle that is currently threatened by these recent events.

Show notes:

Antisemitic Threats and Violence in the West: A Running Tally | National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/antisemitic-threats-and-violence-in-the-west-a-running-tally/

‘We cannot be here’: Utah’s Rabbi Chaim Zippel was in Israel as Hamas attacked | KUER https://www.kuer.org/race-religion-social-justice/2023-10-11/we-cannot-be-here-utahs-rabbi-chaim-zippel-was-in-israel-as-hamas-attacked

Utah leaders, faith groups join Stand with Israel rally - Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/10/11/23912854/utah-stand-with-israel-rally-hamas-attack

Chabad of Utah County - Your Home For Everything Jewish, Based in Lehi, Utah jewishutahcounty.com

Recent antisemitism prompts a needed reminder of America's culture of religious freedom - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/recent-antisemitism-prompts-needed-reminder-of-americas-culture-of-religious-freedom/

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Marriage is often viewed as a personal matter that isn't usually included in public policy discussions. But a growing body of evidence shows that strong families, anchored by healthy marriages, are among the biggest drivers of upward mobility and long-term success for the next generation. This prompts the question: Does government have a role in promoting – or even trying to strengthen – marriage?

On this week’s episode, Nic Dunn is joined by three different guests who are leading and executing marriage and family initiatives here in Utah:

• Brian Higginbotham, Associate Vice President, USU Extension
• Alan Hawkins, Manager, Utah Marriage Commission
• Aimee Winder Newton, Senior Advisor to Gov. Spencer J. Cox and Director of the Utah Office of Families

Each will argue that the government does in fact have an important role helping to strengthen marriage and family, citing examples and best practices here in Utah.

Show notes:
• Stronger Marriage – Utah Marriage Commission | USU https://extension.usu.edu/strongermarriage/
• Healthy Relationships Utah | USU https://extension.usu.edu/hru/
• Utah Office of Families | Governor Spencer J. Cox https://governor.utah.gov/families/
• Opinion: A silver anniversary celebration for the Utah Marriage Commission - Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2023/10/30/23939124/25th-anniversary-utah-marriage-commission
• Publications | Utah Family Miracle – Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-utah-family-miracle/
• Amazon.com: The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind: 9780226817781: Kearney, Melissa S. https://www.amazon.com/Two-Parent-Privilege-Americans-Stopped-Getting/dp/0226817784

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Roughly 37.9 million Americans live in poverty according to the United States Census Bureau's official poverty measure. By any assessment, that's far too many Americans struggling to get by.

So a coalition of state-level policy thinktanks called the Alliance for Opportunity is working to bring that number down, starting with the goal of leading 1 million Americans out of poverty in ten years.

Alliance for Opportunity Executive Director Rachel Barkley and Senior Fellow Les Ford join Nic Dunn on this episode to profile the work of the coalition, and make the argument for a new national movement of welfare reform to improve social safety net programs.

Show notes:
• Home - Alliance for Opportunity
https://allianceforopportunity.com/

• A firsthand account of overcoming ‘benefits cliffs’ to escape poverty - Sutherland Institute
https://sutherlandinstitute.org/a-firsthand-account-of-overcoming-benefits-cliffs-to-escape-poverty/

• How programs to help the poor can harm upward mobility - Sutherland Institute
https://sutherlandinstitute.org/how-programs-to-help-the-poor-can-harm-upward-mobility/

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/.

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The U.S. Supreme Court began its new term in October, with several weighty issues already on the docket. Between October and June 2024, the court will review various cases touching on free speech, separation of powers, property rights, and more that could be added throughout the term.

Sutherland Institute Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan returns to the podcast to give us a preview of the cases the court is taking up. He also discusses why some of the recent political attacks on the court are on weak footing – offering listeners a helpful reminder of the court’s true constitutional role, and how we can defend it.

Show notes:
- Supreme Court 2023-24 preview: 3 issues so far - Sutherland Institute
https://sutherlandinstitute.org/supreme-court-2023-24-preview-3-issues-so-far/

- Attacks on Supreme Court Show Flawed Understanding of Constitution | National Review
https://www.nationalreview.com/2023/09/the-flawed-civic-understanding-behind-attacks-on-the-supreme-court/

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This week’s episode of Defending Ideas brings you another installment of our feature segment: Defending Enterprise, with contributor and AEI Senior Fellow Beth Akers.

Beth joins Nic Dunn to provide listeners with a guide to what candidates for office in 2024 might say about the economy – and how voters can stay focused on policy proposals that support and defend our free enterprise system. Beth dives into the causes and responses to ongoing inflation, including the role of deficit spending and whether current efforts to create a “soft landing” are working. She also touches on economic issues that often find their way into campaign rhetoric, including free trade vs. protectionism, whether raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy is wise, and how we ought to view issues like the minimum wage and immigration with respect to their impacts on the workforce.

Show notes:

Beth Akers | American Enterprise Institute - AEI
https://www.aei.org/profile/beth-akers/

President Biden Remarks on Deficit Reduction | C-SPAN.org
https://www.c-span.org/video/?523757-1/president-biden-remarks-deficit-reduction#:~:text=2022-10-21T13%3A07,declined%20to%20%241.4%20trillion%2C%20the

Federal Reserve Chair News Conference | July 26, 2023 | C-SPAN.org
https://www.c-span.org/video/?523971-1/federal-reserve-chair-news-conference

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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Americans don't trust the news media. Polling data shows over and over that many Americans tend to believe the press is politically biased and not trustworthy. At the same time, it seems that our collective ability to engage in healthy, robust debate has also declined.

Is there a link between diminishing trust in the press and the dying art of public discourse? On this week's episode, 20-year TV news veteran Glen Mills joins Nic Dunn for a status check on the health of public debate, and the state of one of the most important and impactful institutions of civil society: the news media.

Glen shares insights drawn from his decades of broadcast experience spanning Idaho, Wisconsin, Colorado and Utah, covering news, politics and more. The discussion showcases how the news industry has changed, how Americans' ability to debate ideas has suffered, and some ideas for how to fix both.

Show notes:

Confidence in U.S. Institutions Down; Average at New Low: https://news.gallup.com/poll/394283/confidence-institutions-down-average-new-low.aspx

Americans Remain Distrustful of Mass Media: https://news.gallup.com/poll/321116/americans-remain-distrustful-mass-media.aspx

News Media Viewed as Biased but Crucial to Democracy: https://news.gallup.com/poll/316574/news-media-viewed-biased-crucial-democracy.aspx

Glen Mills | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glen-mills-9a0192213/

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This video is private.

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Debates about family policy often focus on an array of programs or interventions like licensed child care, pre-K or the K-12 education system. But all too often, the family itself as an optimal environment for the healthy development of young children – and a fundamental institution of civil society – gets left out of the discussion.

This week’s guest explains why we need to elevate the family as “essential infrastructure” for children and society. She also argues for better inclusion of the evidence showing which environments are truly optimal for early childhood development.

Dr. Katharine Stevens is the founder and CEO of the Center on Child and Family Policy and formerly led AEI’s early child program as a resident scholar. She joins host Nic Dunn to help recenter true pro-family policy at the core of our public debates and offer policymakers and voters a framework for a better approach.

Center on Child and Family Policy https://www.ccfp.org/

A Flawed Agenda for America's Young Children — Center on Child and Family Policy (ccfp.org) https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/a-flawed-agenda-for-americas-young-children?mkt_tok=NDc1LVBCUS05NzEAAAGNYOTuRJiPWNFe8i8ePgZ7Oo9dJdbFuGDcG42wxl0lHULxJMyL3OMGO0fdovEujeffhvbFPxJcbZvp5of7NWwl_syOyiaF6tGNky5V9haiwSLqgMKP

Does Pre-K Work? The Research on Ten Early Childhood Programs — and What it Tells Us — Center on Child and Family Policy (ccfp.org) https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/does-pre-k-work-the-research-on-ten-early-childhood-programs-and-what-it-tells-us

How a Faulty Generalization is Sabotaging Early Childhood Policy — Center on Child and Family Policy (ccfp.org) https://www.ccfp.org/ccfp/how-a-faulty-generalization-is-sabotaging-early-childhood-policy

Mitt Romney says Democrats’ proposals are biased toward parents working outside home – Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/5/18/22442127/mitt-romney-child-care-didnt-realize-disadvantage-mom-stayed-home-joe-biden-american-families-plan

Parents want more time with their kids. We should find ways to help them - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/parents-want-more-time-with-their-kids-we-should-find-ways-to-help-them/

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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Many public policy debates in recent years have focused on the concept of equity, and what impact race and ethnicity have on opportunity for the next generation. This week's podcast guest believes we need to replace equity with agency, as a more compelling – and more effective – vision to help young people of all races lead successful and fulfilling lives.

Ian Rowe is the cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies, a network of character-based International Baccalaureate high schools inaugurated in the Bronx in 2022. He is also a senior fellow at @AEI and the author of Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for All Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power.

Ian joins host Nic Dunn to discuss his experiences as an educator, his assessment of the evidence of what actually helps children succeed in adulthood, and why he wrote a book to provide an alternative to the equity-based debates that so often permeate public dialogue.

Show notes:

Agency - A New Book from AEI's Ian V. Rowe https://www.thefreeframework.com/

The Privilege Hiding in Plain Sight - Ian Rowe in National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2023/10/02/the-privilege-hiding-in-plain-sight/

FREE Landing Page | American Enterprise Institute - AEI https://www.aei.org/free/

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Rabbi Chaim Zippel was in Israel with his wife and baby son on October 7, 2023 – the day of the Hamas terrorist attack. He joins host Nic Dunn to recount his experience getting his family to safety and react to the recent wave of antisemitism abroad and at home.

Sutherland Institute Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan also returns to the podcast to apply a religious freedom lens to the instances of antisemitism topping the news in the United States. The conversation reminds listeners of America's founding principles, providing a framework to renew a core principle that is currently threatened by these recent events.

Show notes:

Antisemitic Threats and Violence in the West: A Running Tally | National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/antisemitic-threats-and-violence-in-the-west-a-running-tally/

‘We cannot be here’: Utah’s Rabbi Chaim Zippel was in Israel as Hamas attacked | KUER https://www.kuer.org/race-religion-social-justice/2023-10-11/we-cannot-be-here-utahs-rabbi-chaim-zippel-was-in-israel-as-hamas-attacked

Utah leaders, faith groups join Stand with Israel rally - Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/10/11/23912854/utah-stand-with-israel-rally-hamas-attack

Chabad of Utah County - Your Home For Everything Jewish, Based in Lehi, Utah jewishutahcounty.com

Recent antisemitism prompts a needed reminder of America's culture of religious freedom - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/recent-antisemitism-prompts-needed-reminder-of-americas-culture-of-religious-freedom/

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