Policy

Work & Opportunity

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.

Work & Opportunity

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For some families, earning more can mean losing benefits faster than they gain income. And states are limited by federal regulation on how they can improve the safety net to encourage work. Congressman Blake Moore explains how the Upward Mobility Act would address these benefits cliffs and make it easier for people to work and move up the economic ladder, by empowering states to test new solutions.

Rep. Moore joined Nic Dunn for Sutherland Institute's 2026 Congressional Series. https://youtube.com/live/q9eSZdQ1a5A

Rep. Blake Moore: Rethinking the safety net to promote upward mobility

From Ep. 137: https://youtu.be/pM2T0Jo6p4o

In this segment, Rep. Blake Moore explains how the Upward Mobility Act would allow states to pilot new approaches to anti‑poverty programs. The goal is to smooth out benefit cliffs so families don’t lose assistance all at once when their income rises — making it easier for people to work more, earn more, and move toward self‑sufficiency.

How the Upward Mobility Act would work

From Ep. 137: https://youtu.be/pM2T0Jo6p4o

When families earn slightly more income, they can suddenly lose government assistance — sometimes leaving them financially worse off for working more. Sen. Jon Husted explains how The Upward Mobility Act aims to fix that by allowing states to test new approaches that gradually phase out benefits and better support the transition from assistance to self‑sufficiency.

The Upward Mobility Act explained

America’s safety net is meant to help families get back on their feet. But too often, it does the opposite by discouraging work and earnings due to benefit cliffs.

On this episode of Defending Ideas, host Nic Dunn sits down with U.S. Senator from Ohio, Jon Husted, and U.S. Representative from Utah, Blake Moore, to discuss their new legislation: The Upward Mobility Act.

This new bipartisan proposal would allow a group of states to pilot innovative reforms that combine multiple anti‑poverty programs and gradually phase out benefits as earnings increase. The goal: help families transition from government assistance to work‑based self‑reliance without falling off a financial cliff.

0:00 Introduction
1:22 The Upward Mobility Act explained
16:09 How the Upward Mobility Act would work
35:44 Takeaways

Show notes:

The Upward Mobility Act One Pager https://www.husted.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/FINAL-One-Pager-Senator-Jon-Husted-Upward-Mobiltiy-Act-One-Pager.pdf
Let states fix the welfare system that Washington broke https://sutherlandinstitute.org/let-states-fix-the-welfare-system-that-washington-broke/
Strengthening the American Dream: Addressing benefits cliffs to empower safety net participants to pursue work and opportunity https://sutherlandinstitute.org/reports/strengthening-the-american-dream/

The Upward Mobility Act | Sen. Husted & Rep. Moore

From Ep. 135: https://youtu.be/hlpytWTq1tQ

What would a better safety net actually look like? In this segment, Commissioner Clarence H. Carter and Nic Dunn outline a path toward reform. One that aligns incentives, measures outcomes, and restores upward mobility as the system’s central goal.

How to fix America’s welfare system

From Ep. 135: https://youtu.be/hlpytWTq1tQ

Why does the system sometimes penalize progress? In this segment, Commissioner Clarence H. Carter and Nic Dunn explain how benefit cliffs and fragmented programs can discourage work and upward mobility, and why aligning incentives is essential to real reform.

Why the safety net can discourage work

From Ep. 135: https://youtu.be/hlpytWTq1tQ

After 34 years inside the public safety net, Commissioner Clarence H. Carter says the system was never built around a clear objective. In his conversation with Nic Dunn, he explains why restoring a shared vision, rooted in freedom and opportunity, is the first step toward meaningful reform.

A safety net without a shared vision

According to some estimates, America spends nearly $1.5 trillion each year across 114 federal programs designed to fight poverty and support vulnerable families. So why do so many families remain stuck?

On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn sits down with Clarence H. Carter, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services and author of "Our Net Has Holes in It," for an inside look at America’s social safety net from someone who has spent more than three decades administering it at the federal, state, and local levels.

Carter argues that the core problem isn’t a lack of compassion or funding — it’s a lack of shared vision. Instead of orienting public benefits around America’s founding ideal of freedom, the system has become a maze of disconnected programs that too often trap families through benefit cliffs, perverse incentives, and bureaucratic complexity. As Carter puts it, the safety net should not merely deliver benefits — it should expand human freedom and help families move toward work-based self-reliance.

The conversation explores comprehensive reform, state-led innovation, the Upward Mobility Act, and why empowering states to test integrated solutions may be the most realistic path forward.

0:00 Introduction
0:56 A safety net without a shared vision
12:55 Why the safety net can discourage work
26:37 How to fix America’s welfare system
47:55 Takeaways

The welfare maze no one can navigate | Clarence H. Carter

As policymakers consider ways to reform safety net programs, Nic Dunn encourages them to look to federalism as a pathway to encourage states to creatively innovate.

Accountable federalism could be a pathway to better government programs

Rep. Blake Moore: Rethinking the safety net to promote upward mobility

How the Upward Mobility Act would work

The Upward Mobility Act explained

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Insights & Takeaways

Commentary

Republicans should address welfare’s work disincentives in budget reconciliation

Unlocking upward mobility for millions of struggling people who feel trapped on government assistance also requires reevaluating the government-constructed barriers that can disincentivize people from working or pursuing professional advancement.

Apr 15, 2025 | 5 min read

Takeaways

Legislative wrap-up: Five key victories for Utahns

Sutherland worked closely with Utah policymakers to protect and strengthen the important pillars of faith, family and freedom.

Mar 20, 2025 | 4 min read

Commentary

New Evidence on the Social Safety Net, Marriage, and Work

Any policy intervention to address benefits cliffs, plateaus, or other disincentives needs to first seek to identify where there are perception gaps vs. structural gaps in the social safety net.

Mar 6, 2025 | 7 min read

Commentary

Safety net or snare? Reassessing the impact of public assistance

If you work harder and earn more, your family should be better off. But for some recipients of public benefits, the opposite might happen.

Feb 20, 2025 | 5 min read

Press Release

Sutherland Institute joins Alliance for Opportunity

Sutherland Institute announced today that it has joined the Alliance for Opportunity, a coalition of state think tanks dedicated to advancing upward mobility and reducing poverty.

Feb 19, 2025 | 3 min read

Press Release

Sutherland Institute Announces New Policy Focus; Nic Dunn Adds New Role as Senior Fellow

Sutherland Institute announced today an elevated focus on upward mobility policies, led by Nic Dunn in a new role as vice president of strategy and senior fellow.

Feb 11, 2025 | 3 min read

Commentary

Thirty Years After Welfare Reform, It’s Time for the Next Generation of State-Led Solutions

Congress should act now to ensure that the next phase of reform is once again state-led and work-centered.

Apr 5, 2026 | 2 min read

Report

The Upward Mobility Act: A state solutions framework for benefit cliffs

America’s social welfare system is intended to provide needed, temporary stabilization to families striving to escape poverty, while helping them move back into stable employment and self-reliance.

Mar 26, 2026 | 2 min read