Derek Monson
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Ukraine and the importance of learning history
Amid the calamity and human tragedy of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there are lessons that can help prevent future tragedies. Two scholars recently pointed out three such lessons.
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Voters’ civic duty during primary season
As a voter, what could be more important than influencing who governs the public schools? So find out when your state school candidates are debating – and tune in via YouTube.
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Lessons from the 2022 Utah legislative session
Utah’s legislative process is designed to produce broad consensus in policy decisions. So it should be no surprise that policy approaches that build broad consensus gain momentum, while those that refuse consensus-building amendments tend to fail.
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The Benefits and Drawbacks of Ranked-Choice Voting in Utah
The potential benefits of ranked-choice voting (RCV) suggest there is merit in continuing the Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Pilot Project. However, the potential drawbacks of RCV should not be ignored: They reinforce the importance of a thoughtful, deliberate approach to…
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Civics of the Utah State Legislature, part 6: Finalizing the budget
Finalizing state budgets is typically a delicate – and occasionally indelicate – political and fiscal negotiation between legislative and executive budget leaders that plays an essential role in fulfilling the design of the Legislature: generating consensus around policy decisions.
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Civics of the Utah State Legislature, part 5: The governor
The governor plays a distinct and critical role in lawmaking. He or she is often the final level of vetting that legislation receives before becoming law and also serves as a check on the political and policymaking power of Utah’s…
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Civics of the Utah State Legislature, part 4: House and Senate
The different ways that senators and representatives are elected to represent all Utah voters often fulfills the design of the legislative process: achieve a broad consensus in order to pass a bill or resolution.
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On matters of education choice, 2022 is not 2007
We can prioritize principles, emphasize evidence, and make the debate about how best to meet the learning needs of each child in a diverse and diversifying body of students.
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The civics of curriculum transparency
Curriculum transparency policy should be a balance of fulfilling the Legislature’s constitutional duty in public education and respecting the principle of local control in education.
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Examining the Evidence on Vote by Mail
The evidence of history, politics, and scholarly research about vote by mail means we are not limited by anecdotes and hypotheticals.