Artificial intelligence is fueling a new kind of arms race, one that isn’t just about technology, but about the clash of values between free republics and authoritarian regimes. 

In this episode, Sutherland Chief Growth Officer Derek Monson sits in for Nic Dunn, and is joined by Sarah Hunt, president and founder of the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy, where they explore how AI is reshaping global power, why energy and governance are central to the competition, and what’s at stake for America's republic as China clamors for more power.

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.

Men make up nearly 80% of suicide deaths, yet too often their struggles go unseen. In this episode, host Nic Dunn and contributor Beth Akers are joined by Joe Tuia'ana who shares the story behind the I Love You, Bro Project, a grassroots movement creating safe, judgment-free spaces where men can open up, connect, and find purpose.

From barbershops to real estate offices, Joe explains why vulnerability can’t be forced, how community partnerships are saving lives, and what policymakers and loved ones can do to truly support men’s mental health.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please know you’re not alone. Help is available: dial 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Show notes:

• New national survey data sheds light on the “silent, struggling subset” of American men

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.

Why are so many boys and young men struggling in America today? The answer may lie in a crisis few are talking about: absent fathers.

Host Nic Dunn and contributor Beth Akers sit down with Ian Rowe, author of Agency and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. They dive into why strong families and involved fathers are key to helping the next generation of boys thrive.

From the decline of marriage to the role of purpose, community, and faith, this episode explores what it really takes to raise strong men in today’s culture.

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.

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.

Amid the ongoing discussions about challenges men and boys face in work, school, and other aspects of life, there’s a deeper question behind the statistics: what actually anchors young men and helps form their character? 

On this episode, host Nic Dunn and contributor Beth Akers sit down with Sam Abrams to discuss the formative role of families, faith, educational institutions, and mentorship in shaping men of character and purpose. They explore how changes in campus culture and the loss of brotherhood in many areas of public life have left many young men feeling adrift — and why rebuilding those anchors is essential. 

Sam is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a visiting fellow at the Sutherland Institute, and a professor of politics and social science at Sarah Lawrence College.

Show notes:

• Micro-supports: A small idea that could change the future for young men
• New national survey data sheds light on the “silent, struggling subset” of American men

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.


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.

Multiple states have received requests from the U.S. Department of Justice for state voter roll information. The DOJ says it’s enforcing federal election laws.

Critics call it a dangerous overreach that could erode privacy, weaken security, and blur constitutional boundaries between Washington and the states.

This week on Defending Ideas, host Nic Dunn is joined by Derek Monson of Sutherland Institute and Matt Germer of the R Street Institute to unpack the legal, constitutional, and civic stakes of this growing controversy — and why the balance of power in our election system matters for the future of self-government.
 
Show notes:

• Utah – and every other state – should protect elections by saying ‘no’ to the Trump DOJ
• Elections Policy — 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.

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.

What if the root cause of America’s polarization isn’t just anger or partisanship — but the loss of a skill we’ve stopped practicing? On this episode, Nic Dunn speaks with R Street Institute VP of Public Affairs Sabrina Schaeffer to explore how the lost arts of debate, discourse, and civic engagement are essential to a thriving constitutional republic. Drawing from history and recent research, this conversation examines why the institutions that once taught the “muscle memory” of respectful disagreement have eroded — and how we can rebuild them. It’s a call to see disagreement not as a threat, but as a civic virtue worth reclaiming.
 
Show notes:

• Self-Government Takes Practice. We’ve Stopped Rehearsing

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.

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.

One of the biggest challenges facing the economy in recent years, at both the national and state levels, is persistent workforce shortages across different industries. With more jobs than qualified workers, leaders in states like Utah are confronting the gap between education and training institutions and the needs of employers. On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn is joined by Jordan Hill and Amy Andre from Talent Ready Utah to explore how work-based learning, apprenticeships, and career-connected education are helping to bridge that gap.
 
What’s working in Utah? Why aren’t more companies using apprenticeships? And how can we build a system that values all postsecondary pathways — whether academic or technical? From reshaping public attitudes to advancing smart policy, this episode highlights a principled path forward that empowers students, strengthens opportunity, and fuels a thriving workforce.
 
Guests:

• Jordan Hill, Assistant Commissioner of Industry Workforce Initiatives, Talent Ready Utah
• Amy Andre, State Work-Based Learning Intermediary, Talent Ready Utah

Show notes:

• Talent Ready Utah — Utah System of Higher Education
• Work & Opportunity Initiative — 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.

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.

America is a compassionate country. But what if the way we’ve been “helping” those in poverty actually makes things worse?

On this episode, host Nic Dunn sits down with James Whitford, founder and executive director of True Charity and Watered Gardens Ministries, and author of “The Crisis of Dependency: How Our Efforts to Solve Poverty Are Trapping People in It, and What We Can Do to Foster Freedom Instead.”

They explore the unintended consequences of well-meaning welfare programs and handout-style charity, discussing how both public assistance and private aid can unintentionally foster dependency — and why restoring dignity, emphasizing work, and leaning on local solutions rooted in the principle of subsidiarity could offer a better path forward. With real-life stories, policy insights, and a vision to supercharge civil society, this conversation invites listeners to rethink poverty, charity, and the American dream.

Show notes:

• The Crisis of Dependency: How Our Efforts to Solve Poverty Are Trapping People in It, and What We Can Do to Foster Freedom Instead
• True Charity
• Watered Gardens Ministries
• Sutherland Institute 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.

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 couple of weeks have passed since the July 4th celebrations, and after the fireworks fade and the flags are stored away, does our feeling of patriotism linger? What does patriotism mean today?

In this special solo episode, host Nic Dunn reflects on the enduring responsibility of American citizens — not just to celebrate freedom, but to live it out. Drawing from the example of the Founders and generations of patriots who followed, this episode explores why true love of country means fidelity to principle, faith in our institutions, and the hard but hopeful work of persuasion. A timely call to elevate our civic engagement and embrace the full meaning of American independence in 2025 and beyond.

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.

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 has long been seen as a gateway to opportunity and upward mobility. But today, fewer young men are pursuing higher education, accounting for just two out of every five degrees in the U.S. — a reversal of trends seen a generation ago.
 
On this episode, Host Nic Dunn is joined once again by Defending Ideas Feature Contributor and AEI Senior Fellow Beth Akers. Together, they explore this growing gender gap in higher education with Mike Kofoed, an economist and professor at the Haslam College of Business and the Boyd Center for Business & Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Melinda Brock of the American Institute for Boys and Men.

They discuss why male enrollment and completion rates are declining, and whether college is still seen as a worthwhile path for young men, tying these trends to broader cultural questions: Are young men retreating from institutions of civil society altogether, like work, education, and community? And how should society respond? 

Show notes:

• Wanted: More young men enrolling in college
• New national survey data sheds light on the “silent, struggling subset” of American men
• Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative

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.

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.