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Policy

Family

The foundation of a successful society lies within the institution of the family. We have an obligation to protect the integrity and autonomy of the family, with parents being the rightful leaders of the institution. By implementing sound, principled family policy, we protect every facet of our American way of life. With united families, we put our next generation in the best position to succeed by ensuring that they have the support and liberty to achieve the American dream.

A nation cannot stand without a unified people. That is why protecting the institution of the family is of utmost importance. As the individuals who know their children best, parents should know that the law serves to defend and protect their right to lead their family independent of undue government influence.

Family

The foundation of a successful society lies within the institution of the family. We have an obligation to protect the integrity and autonomy of the family, with parents being the rightful leaders of the institution. By implementing sound, principled family policy, we protect every facet of our American way of life. With united families, we put our next generation in the best position to succeed by ensuring that they have the support and liberty to achieve the American dream.

A nation cannot stand without a unified people. That is why protecting the institution of the family is of utmost importance. As the individuals who know their children best, parents should know that the law serves to defend and protect their right to lead their family independent of undue government influence.

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Tim Carney, senior fellow at @AEI, shares a portion of his new book, Family Unfriendly, to show how unhealthy outlooks on kids' sports and specialized extracurricular activities can unintentionally hurt family time. Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be – https://a.co/d/dbOtyMd
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi45RTgxNDRBMzUwRjQ0MDhC

The 'travel team trap' and unhealthy family dynamics

Public discussions of "the good life" usually center on things like a quality job, decent pay and other benefits that are primarily material. But what if – as a society – we're missing the things that truly impact happiness and human flourishing? Even when we discuss what's been described as America's "loneliness epidemic," too often the importance of human connection and strong families get left out. Guest Dr. Jenet Erickson joins host Nic Dunn to show why human connection through meaningful relationships – like those within a family unit – are generally much more important for a flourishing life than the things that usually get measured and publicly discussed. They discuss how to restore these principles to the center of the public debates about our biggest societal challenges. Erickson is a family fellow at the BYU Wheatley Institute, a senior fellow for the Institute for Family Studies, and a co-author of “The Utah Family Miracle: Five Policy Ideas to Keep Utah Families Strong and Stable,” a report issued jointly between Sutherland Institute and the Institute for Family Studies. Show notes: • Jenet Jacob Erickson – Wheatley Institute https://wheatley.byu.edu/directory/jenet-jacob-erickson • America has a loneliness epidemic. Here are 6 steps to address it – NPR https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173418268/loneliness-connection-mental-health-dementia-surgeon-general • Publications | Utah Family Miracle – Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-utah-family-miracle/ • Policy | Success Sequence – Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/success/
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi41MjE1MkI0OTQ2QzJGNzNG

Family relationships are an antidote to America's loneliness epidemic

Nic Dunn, VP of strategy and communications for Sutherland Institute, was interviewed by KMTI MidUtah Radio to discuss an episode of Defending Ideas and policy on strengthening relationships between parents and children.
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi41NkI0NEY2RDEwNTU3Q0M2

Sutherland Institute on KMTI: Strengthening family relationships and family-friendly policy

Brad Wilcox, a Sutherland Institute visiting scholar and senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, details data showing that on some key outcomes, whether a child is raised by married parents has a bigger impact than on the income level of the family. #utpol
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi5EMEEwRUY5M0RDRTU3NDJC

Family stability protects children's futures

Dr. Katharine Stevens is the founder and CEO of the Center on Child and Family Policy and formerly led @AEI's early childhood 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.
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi40NzZCMERDMjVEN0RFRThB

How family policy debates sometimes ignore the family itself

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 childhood 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.
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi41MzJCQjBCNDIyRkJDN0VD

How family policy debates sometimes ignore the family itself

Aimee Winder Newton, senior advisor to the governor and director of the Utah Office of Families, explains how Utah is empowering parents at the helms of their own families..
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi41Mzk2QTAxMTkzNDk4MDhF

Parents know best for the family

We often hear that the best way to prepare the next generation for a successful life is through a quality education. But what about another institution of civil society that might actually play a bigger role in upward mobility and human flourishing?
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi5EQUE1NTFDRjcwMDg0NEMz

Aimee Winder Newton on elevating families as a crucial part of success

We often hear that the best way to prepare the next generation for a successful life is through a quality education. But what about another institution of civil society that might actually play a bigger role in upward mobility and human flourishing? On this episode we profile the recently created Utah Office of Families and show you why the best way to equip children with the tools for a successful life is to elevate the importance of strong, stable and healthy families. Host Nic Dunn sits down with guest Aimee Winder Newton, senior advisor to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and director of the Office of Families. Aimee outlines an approach to family policy in Utah that seeks to support and strengthen all families, while recognizing the positive impact that married couple households have on child outcomes. They also discuss the importance of education, work, and marriage before childbearing (the success sequence) as a framework for the next generation – and talk about why better tracking of family structure data is crucial for good policymaking. Utah Office of Families | Governor Spencer J. Cox: https://governor.utah.gov/families/ Aimee Winder Newton | Governor Spencer J. Cox (utah.gov): https://governor.utah.gov/staff/aimee-winder-newton/ Publications | Utah Family Miracle - Sutherland Institute: https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-utah-family-miracle/ Success Sequence - Sutherland Institute: https://sutherlandinstitute.org/?s=success+sequence Tracking ‘two-parent privilege’ in Utah - Sutherland Institute: https://sutherlandinstitute.org/tracking-two-parent-privilege-in-utah/
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi4wMTcyMDhGQUE4NTIzM0Y5

Aimee Winder Newton on elevating families as a crucial part of success

Tim Carney, senior fellow at @AEI, shares a portion of his new book, Family Unfriendly, to show how unhealthy outlooks on kids' sports and specialized extracurricular activities can unintentionally hurt family time. Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be – https://a.co/d/dbOtyMd
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi45RTgxNDRBMzUwRjQ0MDhC

The 'travel team trap' and unhealthy family dynamics

Public discussions of "the good life" usually center on things like a quality job, decent pay and other benefits that are primarily material. But what if – as a society – we're missing the things that truly impact happiness and human flourishing? Even when we discuss what's been described as America's "loneliness epidemic," too often the importance of human connection and strong families get left out. Guest Dr. Jenet Erickson joins host Nic Dunn to show why human connection through meaningful relationships – like those within a family unit – are generally much more important for a flourishing life than the things that usually get measured and publicly discussed. They discuss how to restore these principles to the center of the public debates about our biggest societal challenges. Erickson is a family fellow at the BYU Wheatley Institute, a senior fellow for the Institute for Family Studies, and a co-author of “The Utah Family Miracle: Five Policy Ideas to Keep Utah Families Strong and Stable,” a report issued jointly between Sutherland Institute and the Institute for Family Studies. Show notes: • Jenet Jacob Erickson – Wheatley Institute https://wheatley.byu.edu/directory/jenet-jacob-erickson • America has a loneliness epidemic. Here are 6 steps to address it – NPR https://www.npr.org/2023/05/02/1173418268/loneliness-connection-mental-health-dementia-surgeon-general • Publications | Utah Family Miracle – Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/publications/publications-utah-family-miracle/ • Policy | Success Sequence – Sutherland Institute https://sutherlandinstitute.org/success/
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi41MjE1MkI0OTQ2QzJGNzNG

Family relationships are an antidote to America's loneliness epidemic

Nic Dunn, VP of strategy and communications for Sutherland Institute, was interviewed by KMTI MidUtah Radio to discuss an episode of Defending Ideas and policy on strengthening relationships between parents and children.
YouTube Video UExQb0RWZDJ5SWdBWjNLMkV2bGRyUDdZcExycW9BaUxEVi41NkI0NEY2RDEwNTU3Q0M2

Sutherland Institute on KMTI: Strengthening family relationships and family-friendly policy

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