With Utah's legislative session underway, lawmakers are weighing major questions about religious freedom, judicial authority, and the proper balance of power between states and the federal government. 

In this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn is joined by Sutherland's constitutional law and religious freedom fellow, Bill Duncan, to preview the key bills driving these debates. Their conversation explores how courts impact public policy, where legislative authority begins and ends, and how federalism can protect pluralism in a diverse society. Along the way, they examine what these proposals mean for religious liberty, democratic accountability, and self-government in Utah.

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

Utah’s 2026 legislative session is shaping up to be one of the most consequential for education in recent years. 

In this episode of Defending Ideas, host Nic Dunn is joined by Sutherland's Christine Cooke Fairbanks to break down the biggest education debates lawmakers are preparing to take on, from classroom technology and literacy policy to school choice, accountability, and the evolving role of state leadership in education. 

The conversation offers a clear look at what’s driving these proposals, where tensions are emerging, and what the outcomes could mean for students, parents, and educators across Utah as the session approaches.

Show notes:

• Banning phones and boosting literacy: Utah’s 2026 education legislative priorities

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

Nearly one in three Americans now say they have no religious affiliation — but that doesn't mean they've rejected religion outright.

On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn talks with AEI Senior Fellow and Sutherland Institute Visiting Scholar Sam Abrams, Sutherland's Bill Duncan, and Dee Allsop from Heart+Mind Strategies to explore groundbreaking new survey data on America's "religious nones." 

The findings challenge common assumptions: when people are exposed to clear, factual information about religion's civic contributions, attitudes shift — sometimes dramatically. What does this mean for religious freedom, persuasion, and the future role of faith in public life? And how should leaders talk about religion in a secular age? 

This conversation offers a hopeful roadmap for principled persuasion in a polarized world.

Show notes:

• Talking about Religion in a Secular Age: How Religious "Nones" Perceive the Value of Religion

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

Is the federal government equipped to manage America’s safety net? In this episode of Defending Ideas, host Nic Dunn sits down with Tony Woodlief, senior executive vice president for State Policy Network and senior fellow for the Center for Practical Federalism. They examine whether Washington, D.C. is failing low-income families — and whether states are better positioned to deliver effective, accountable support. The conversation focuses on the design and performance of major safety-net programs like SNAP, the tradeoffs between centralized control and state flexibility, and how federalism could lead to better outcomes for the people these programs are meant to serve. Along the way, they discuss incentives, work, accountability, and what meaningful safety-net reform could look like in practice.

Show Notes:

• What states can expect with the new SNAP match: Options to reduce state error rates
• Work & Opportunity Initiative

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

There's a growing national discussion about how men are doing — economically, socially, and emotionally — and whether they face unique challenges related to purpose, connection, and opportunity in American life.

In this episode, host Nic Dunn sits down with contributor Beth Akers to discuss new Sutherland/Y2 Analytics survey findings on the well‑being of men in America. While most men report satisfaction with health, work, family, and faith, the data reveals that a sizable subset struggle across each of these domains. They explore what the findings suggest about mental health, stigma, isolation, and the “anchors” that help men thrive — work, family, faith, and community — and what leaders and communities can do next.

Show notes:

• Missing Anchors: How some men drift from health, vocation, and purpose

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

College is often treated as the default path to success — but there are other successful paths that are underused. In this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn sits down with Zach Boren of Apprenticeships for America to explore how expanding work-based training can open new doors to upward mobility, especially for men and boys who are struggling to find solid footing in today’s economy. 

We dig into why apprenticeships remain one of the most effective yet underutilized tools for building skills, boosting earnings, and launching young people into good, meaningful careers. And we examine how policymakers can treat apprenticeships not as a niche alternative, but as a core strategy for strengthening the workforce and expanding access to the middle class. Together, Nic and Zach make the case that revitalizing the skilled trades and modern work-based learning isn’t just good workforce policy — it’s essential to restoring opportunity, purpose, and economic hope for a rising generation.

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

Utah’s redistricting battle has reached a breaking point, and the stakes go far beyond political outcomes. In this episode, Nic Dunn sits down with public affairs expert Taylor Morgan of Morgan May Public Affairs and Bill Duncan to unpack how one judicially selected congressional map reshaped Utah’s political landscape, sidelined the constitutional role of the legislature, and triggered a deeply consequential fight over who holds redistricting power in our state. From the intentions behind Proposition 4 to the Utah Constitution’s clear assignment of authority, this conversation explains what really happened, and what it means for voters, elections, and the future of policymaking in Utah.

Show notes:

• Survey: Utah voters think elected officials, not judges, should choose congressional maps – 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, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

As families gather for Thanksgiving, disagreements about politics and culture can feel unavoidable. In this episode, Nic Dunn explains why the best way to lower the temperature is to lead with your deeply held principles, not partisan talking points, and how doing so strengthens both relationships and our civic life. 

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

A 43-day federal shutdown exposed how fragile state programs become when Washington can’t keep the lights on. In this episode, Nic Dunn is joined by Jennifer Butler, Senior Policy Advisor for the Center for Practical Federalism at the State Policy Network, along with Sutherland’s Bill Duncan and Christine Cooke Fairbanks. They unpack what the shutdown reveals about over-reliance on federal dollars, the hidden power of federal “guidance” letters, and how states can reclaim control in education, constitutional governance, and core safety-net programs. The panel also explores why federalism is common sense, why some states succeed while others fail, and how to make the case for a bipartisan revival of state-led innovation.

Show notes:

• Center for Practical Federalism
• Measuring the cost of federal guidance in Utah
• Government shutdown and the demise of the U.S. Department of Education

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

Utah’s new state superintendent, Dr. Molly Hart, joins Nic Dunn alongside Christine Cooke Fairbanks to discuss the future of education in Utah. From strengthening local control to harnessing innovation in the classroom, they explore how Utah can lead the nation in rethinking public education and empower parents, teachers, and students to thrive.


Show notes:

• Examining school “capacity” in Utah’s open enrollment law

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.