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?

Nic Dunn sits down with Justin Jones, executive director of the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University, and Sutherland’s 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:

Transcript: Post-election analysis with Yuval Levin - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/transcript-post-election-analysis-with-yuval-levin/

About | Herbert Institute | Utah Valley University https://www.uvu.edu/herbertinstitute/about/index.html

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Is raising the minimum wage a good tool to help low-income workers achieve upward mobility?

That's the key question at the heart of the debate over California's new $20 an hour minimum wage law for fast food workers. Economist Beth Akers joins host Nic Dunn to discuss the arguments on both sides and explore the unintended consequences of this policy. They explore the impact this new law is having on businesses, articulating a principled approach that's both pro-free enterprise and pro-upward mobility. Beth is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a contributor to Defending Ideas.

Show notes:
Beth Akers - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/beth-akers/
Half a million California workers will get $20 minimum wage, starting today: NPR https://www.npr.org/2024/04/01/1241743207/california-fast-food-workers-20-minimum-wage-april
California Restaurants Cut Jobs as Fast-Food Wages Set to Rise - WSJ https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/california-restaurants-cut-jobs-as-fast-food-wages-set-to-rise-eb5ddaaa?mod=business_lead_story
California’s New Minimum Wage Law Will Bring Higher Pay To Fast-Food Workers, Along With Unintended Job Losses (forbes.com) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/04/03/californias-new-minimum-wage-law-will-bring-higher-pay-to-fast-food-workers-along-with-unintended-job-losses/?sh=61aa93697fb9

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One of the things most people can likely agree with is that civility seems to be in short supply in our current political environment. But in recent years, a growing chorus of voices across the political spectrum has been calling for a return to principles of civility in politics, as well as all areas of public life.

This week's guest is Alexandra Hudson, author of The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves. Alexandra sits down with host Nic Dunn to discuss her experiences working in the federal government that prompted her to write this book. She articulates why civility is needed in personal and public life now more than ever, and outlines an approach each of us can take to interact with others – especially those with whom we disagree – in a way that strengthens true discourse and heals our nation.

Show notes:
The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves: Hudson, Alexandra: Amazon.com: Books https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Civility-Timeless-Principles-Ourselves/dp/1250277787/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Home - Alexandra Hudson (alexandraohudson.com) https://alexandraohudson.com/

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Do we need to reinvigorate the conservative movement, and is "Freedom Conservatism" the answer? This week's Defending Ideas episode addresses both of those questions and helps equip listeners to apply long-standing American principles to what seem like intractable modern political and policy challenges.

Nic Dunn is joined by John Hood, one of the leaders behind the Freedom Conservatism movement and a co-author of its statement of principles. John is also the president of the John William Pope Foundation and former president and board member for the John Locke Foundation, both based in North Carolina.

John articulates the vision of Freedom Conservatism, arguing that the American right still needs to stand for limited government, free enterprise, free speech, free trade, strong families, and a robust defense of American interests.

Show notes:
Freedom Conservatism: A Statement of Principles https://www.freedomconservatism.org/p/freedom-conservatism-a-statement
John Hood | John William Pope Foundation (jwpf.org) https://jwpf.org/team/john-hood/
Freedom Conservatives Will Keep America Great | RealClearPolitics https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2023/07/13/freedom_conservatives_will_keep_america_great_149478.html

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This video is private.

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Housing affordability is one of the most important issues for Utah voters, and for too many families, owning a home may feel out of reach. Amid rising housing costs, many Utahns are wondering what can be done to make homeownership more affordable.

On this episode, Nic Dunn welcomes back @AEI Senior Fellow and Defending Ideas Feature Contributor Beth Akers for another Defending Enterprise installment. Beth sits down with local and national housing experts to help listeners understand the problem and what state leaders in Utah are doing about it.

Guests:
Dejan Eskic, senior research fellow with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute https://eccles.utah.edu/team/dejan-eskic/

Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics with the Cato Institute https://www.cato.org/people/scott-lincicome

Steve Waldrip, senior advisor to the governor for housing strategy and innovation https://governor.utah.gov/staff/steve-waldrip/

Show notes:
Publications | 2024 Voter Priorities - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-2024-voter-priorities/

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With Utah's 2024 legislative session now in the rearview mirror, what actually passed, and will it benefit Utahns?

Sutherland Institute was involved with legislation impacting issues including religious freedom, family policy, education and elections. On this episode, Nic Dunn sits down with Sutherland's policy experts to profile these issues and discuss the policy impacts of what passed and what failed.

Interview Guests:
Stan Rasmussen, VP of Government Affairs https://sutherlandinstitute.org/stan-rasmussen/

Christine Cooke Fairbanks, Education Policy Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.org/christine-cooke-fairbanks/

Bill Duncan, Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.org/william-c-duncan/

Derek Monson, Chief Growth Officer https://sutherlandinstitute.org/derek-monson/

Show notes:
Small steps to big wins – 5 legislative victories that will benefit Utahns - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/small-steps-to-big-wins-5-legislative-victories-that-will-benefit-utahns/

Publications | 2024 Voter Priorities - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-2024-voter-priorities/

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Education has become one of the most polarized issues in state national politics in recent years. The debates over what should be taught to students, and even the overall purpose of education, prompt an important question: What is the right vision for education in America?

Rick Hess joins Nic Dunn on this week's episode to discuss his new book, co-authored with Michael McShane: Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K–12, and College.

Rick is a senior fellow and the director of education policy studies for @AEI. He argues that we need to refocus education on its proper institutional and civic purpose, offering a vision for how to orient future education policy discussions in a way that should be broadly popular among Americans.

Sutherland's education policy fellow, Christine Cooke Fairbanks, also joins the discussion to show how principles like elevating families and strengthening parent-teacher partnerships can be successfully implemented, citing examples in Utah.

Show notes:

Getting Education Right: A Conservative Vision for Improving Early Childhood, K-12, and College | American Enterprise Institute – AEI https://www.aei.org/research-products/book/getting-education-right/
Frederick M. Hess | American Enterprise Institute – AEI https://www.aei.org/profile/frederick-m-hess/
Christine Cooke Fairbanks – Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/christine-cooke-fairbanks/

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What is going on at the U.S./Mexico border in Texas? After a wave of national news coverage profiling recent significant increases in border crossings, questions remain about the legal conflict between state and federal authorities over who is actually in charge of border security.

On this episode, @DeseretNews Politics Reporter Brigham Tomco joins host Nic Dunn to give a first-hand account of what's actually happening at the border based on his recent coverage for the Deseret News.

Later in the show, Sutherland Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan joins to discuss the legal battle between Texas and the federal government. Bill and Nic go over the arguments on both sides as the issues moves through the judicial process.

Finally, Sutherland Chief Growth Officer Derek Monson sits down with Nic to explore why this issue is so polarizing, offering some tips for how to discuss contentious topics like this with more respect for those who disagree.

Show notes:
What’s happening in Eagle Pass Texas - Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/2024/2/6/24059541/eagle-pass-texas-center-of-immigration-debate-shelby-park-controlled-by-national-guard/
What’s behind the mess at the Texas border? - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/whats-behind-the-mess-at-the-texas-border/
Brigham Tomco - Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/authors/brigham-tomco/

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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?

Nic Dunn sits down with Justin Jones, executive director of the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University, and Sutherland’s 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:

Transcript: Post-election analysis with Yuval Levin - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/transcript-post-election-analysis-with-yuval-levin/

About | Herbert Institute | Utah Valley University https://www.uvu.edu/herbertinstitute/about/index.html

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Is raising the minimum wage a good tool to help low-income workers achieve upward mobility?

That's the key question at the heart of the debate over California's new $20 an hour minimum wage law for fast food workers. Economist Beth Akers joins host Nic Dunn to discuss the arguments on both sides and explore the unintended consequences of this policy. They explore the impact this new law is having on businesses, articulating a principled approach that's both pro-free enterprise and pro-upward mobility. Beth is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a contributor to Defending Ideas.

Show notes:
Beth Akers - Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/beth-akers/
Half a million California workers will get $20 minimum wage, starting today: NPR https://www.npr.org/2024/04/01/1241743207/california-fast-food-workers-20-minimum-wage-april
California Restaurants Cut Jobs as Fast-Food Wages Set to Rise - WSJ https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/california-restaurants-cut-jobs-as-fast-food-wages-set-to-rise-eb5ddaaa?mod=business_lead_story
California’s New Minimum Wage Law Will Bring Higher Pay To Fast-Food Workers, Along With Unintended Job Losses (forbes.com) https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/04/03/californias-new-minimum-wage-law-will-bring-higher-pay-to-fast-food-workers-along-with-unintended-job-losses/?sh=61aa93697fb9

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One of the things most people can likely agree with is that civility seems to be in short supply in our current political environment. But in recent years, a growing chorus of voices across the political spectrum has been calling for a return to principles of civility in politics, as well as all areas of public life.

This week's guest is Alexandra Hudson, author of The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves. Alexandra sits down with host Nic Dunn to discuss her experiences working in the federal government that prompted her to write this book. She articulates why civility is needed in personal and public life now more than ever, and outlines an approach each of us can take to interact with others – especially those with whom we disagree – in a way that strengthens true discourse and heals our nation.

Show notes:
The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves: Hudson, Alexandra: Amazon.com: Books https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Civility-Timeless-Principles-Ourselves/dp/1250277787/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Home - Alexandra Hudson (alexandraohudson.com) https://alexandraohudson.com/

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