Defending Ideas

It feels like there is very little common ground on most policy and political issues these days. But poverty could be an area where there is more consensus than you might think. On this episode we profile seven common ground solutions to poverty that should reshape debate about the health of the American Dream.

Nic Dunn is joined by two experts from the Illinois Policy Institute, Head of Policy Josh Bandoch and Executive Director of the Center for Poverty Solutions Dr. Eddie Kornegay, to discuss the state of opportunity today and policy reforms needed to strengthen upward mobility for Americans striving to escape poverty. 

Show notes:

• Common-ground solutions to empower Chicago’s poor: A model for America’s cities | Illinois Policy
• Making work pay in Illinois: How welfare cliffs can trap families in poverty | Illinois Policy
• Josh Bandoch | Illinois Policy
• Eddie Kornegay | Illinois Policy

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.






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 religion's impact on society overall a force for good? Some say no. A recent survey shows that 40% of Americans thought religion’s influence was more negative than positive.  

On this episode, we explore new research that catalogs how far-reaching the positive impacts of religion are for individuals, families and communities.  

Sutherland Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan returns to the show to discuss his new paper: What Good Does Religion Do? In this new report for Sutherland, Bill outlines the overwhelming evidence showing how huge swaths of the nation’s social services delivery are only possible thanks to religiously motivated organizations and individuals.  

Bill and host Nic Dunn discuss how even individuals who don’t participate in faith congregations actually benefit from the broad social benefits of religion.  

Show notes: 

• Publications | What Good Does Religion Do? - Sutherland Institute 
• Policy | Religious Freedom - 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, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. 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 campus protests over the war between Israel and Hamas continue to make headlines. Do these protests stand in opposition to American principles?

On this episode we discuss the proper role of formative institutions like universities, what the Constitution teaches us about the right way to express political views, and how to assess the recent protests through a civic and constitutional lens. 

Nic Dunn is joined by AEI Senior Fellow Beth Akers and Sutherland Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan. 

Show notes:

• Columbia Students Aren’t Protesting. They’re Having a Temper Tantrum. | American Enterprise Institute
• What does the U.S. Constitution say about political protests? - 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, equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. 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.

Do you think you'll be able to retire comfortably in the future? This question is directly related to the ongoing debate over Social Security reform. On this episode we sit down with an expert to dispel some of the myths about the state of retirement today and offer a framework for how to fix Social Security before it's too late. 

Nic Dunn is joined by American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Andrew Biggs, who specializes in Social Security reform, public and private sector compensation, and state and local government pensions. Prior to AEI, Andrew served as principal deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration, and as an associate director of the White House National Economic Council.

Show notes:

• Andrew G. Biggs | American Enterprise Institute
• Our retirement system is a disaster for working people. We can fix it | Fox News
• You Don’t Need to Be a Millionaire to Retire - WSJ

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.

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.

Education choice has exploded in popularity across the nation in recent years. So why does it remain a contentious point of debate in some parts of the country? 

Nic Dunn sits down with experts in two states to compare notes on differing approaches to putting more power in the hands of parents to direct how, where and in what way their children learn. Dr. Robert Luebke is the director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation in North Carolina. Christine Cooke Fairbanks is the education policy fellow at Sutherland Institute. 

They discuss the similarities and differences between Utah and North Carolina and the states' education choice policies, and offer a framework for how to further the cause in a productive way. 

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.

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.

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.

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 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 Institute
• Half a million California workers will get $20 minimum wage, starting today : NPR
• California Restaurants Cut Jobs as Fast-Food Wages Set to Rise - WSJ
• California’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.

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.

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: Books
• Home - 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.

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.

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 Principles
• John 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.

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 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 P
• Timothy P. Carney | American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• How family policy debates sometimes ignore the family itself - Sutherland Institute
• Family relationships are an antidote to America's loneliness epidemic - Sutherland Institute
• Can this one civic institution save civilization? Brad Wilcox on his new book: Get Married - Sutherland Institute
• Watch: 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.


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.