Defending Ideas Sutherland Institute

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 About | Herbert Institute | Utah Valley University (uvu.edu)
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.

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 explore the arguments on both sides and explore the unintended consequences of this policy. They discuss 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 InstituteHalf a million California workers will get $20 minimum wage, starting today : NPRCalifornia Restaurants Cut Jobs as Fast-Food Wages Set to Rise - WSJCalifornia’s New Minimum Wage Law Will Bring Higher Pay To Fast-Food Workers, Along With Unintended Job Losses (forbes.com)
Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism by equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit defendingideas.org.

Most people would agree 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: BooksHome - Alexandra Hudson (alexandraohudson.com)

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism by equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit defendingideas.org.

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 PrinciplesJohn Hood | John William Pope Foundation (jwpf.org)Freedom Conservatives Will Keep America Great | RealClearPolitics
Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism by equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit defendingideas.org.

Is it harder to raise kids today than it was in years or decades past? For many current or prospective parents, this question may often be top of mind as they navigate decisions about marriage and family.

Tim Carney joins host Nic Dunn on this week's Defending Ideas episode to discuss his new book: Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be.

Tim is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior columnist for the Washington Examiner. He argues that aspects of modern culture have made raising a family unnecessarily harder, and points to cultural and policy solutions that can fix this. 

Show notes:
Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be: Carney, Timothy PTimothy P. Carney | American Enterprise Institute - AEIHow family policy debates sometimes ignore the family itself - Sutherland InstituteFamily relationships are an antidote to America's loneliness epidemic - Sutherland InstituteCan this one civic institution save civilization? Brad Wilcox on his new book: Get Married - Sutherland InstituteWatch: Gov. Gov. Cox calls on Utahns to work together on quality of life issues in his 2022 State of the State address | Governor Spencer J. Cox
Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, by equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit defendingideas.org.

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 InstituteScott Lincicome, vice president of general economics with the Cato InstituteSteve Waldrip, senior advisor to the governor for housing strategy and innovationShow notes:
Publications | 2024 Voter Priorities - Sutherland Institute
Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, by equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit defendingideas.org.