Defending Ideas

Most debates on poverty focus on small reforms to America’s welfare system. But what if the system itself is the problem?

On this episode, Nic Dunn sits down with author and AEI scholar Charles Murray to discuss his bold proposal to replace the welfare state with a universal basic income. They explore why incremental change may no longer be enough, how current policies can trap people in poverty, what real upward mobility could look like in America, and how other programs, like empowerment accounts, stack up against UBI.

Show notes:

• In Our Hands: A Plan to Replace the Welfare State

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 ever self-censor your political views because you’re worried about how others might react, or even fear backlash for sharing what you really believe?

You’re not alone. And it's a sign that we’ve forgotten how to disagree constructively in American public life.
 
On this episode of Defending Ideas, host Nic Dunn sits down with Rep. Celeste Maloy of Utah's 2nd Congressional District for a powerful conversation about restoring the art of civil debate, defending free speech, and encouraging the next generation to stay civically engaged. They also cover policy developments in energy and artificial intelligence.

Show notes:

• H.R.8784 Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement Act

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 redistricting debates make headlines in Utah and across the nation, a deeper issue is being overlooked: Who really has the constitutional authority to draw electoral maps? In this episode, host Nic Dunn sits down with Sutherland Institute Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow Bill Duncan to unpack the legal and civic principles at the heart of Utah’s redistricting controversy.
 
From questions of legislative authority and judicial overreach to the role of citizen ballot initiatives, this conversation explores how these debates over district boundaries are really debates about how we govern ourselves — and who gets to decide.
 
If you're wondering why Utah’s electoral maps are being debated, this episode equips you with a clearer understanding of what the constitution actually says — and why that matters for the future of self-government.

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.

Following the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, host Nic Dunn offers a special message on how Americans should respond to political violence, polarization, and contempt. 

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.

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.

Show notes:

• The American Dream Polling Report - Rainey Center

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.