Derek Monson
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A preliminary analysis of ranked-choice voting in Utah
The new voting process has significant implications for voting in Utah that are worth examining from the perspective of the evidence and the data – particularly for their potential impact on public trust in the institution of voting.
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Cox’s defense of voting by mail highlights the need to focus on facts
The need for better information is made more urgent by the fact that vote by mail is an extension of one of our most basic civic institutions: voting. Utah policymakers and the public deserve the best information available, especially when…
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Civics of the Utah State Legislature, part 3: Rules committees and standing committees
While sometimes obscure and complicated, the role of rules committees and standing committees is essential to fulfilling the consensus-building design of Utah’s legislative process.
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Civics of the Utah State Legislature, part 2: Base budget
This week the Utah Legislature will finalize the “base budget” – which typically represents about 97 percent of the final state budget – for fiscal year 2022-23.
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The key to evaluating curriculum transparency legislation
The parent-teacher partnership is the place where the desires and interests of two institutions meet: the family and public education. Public policy should respect both institutions.
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Civics of the Utah Legislature, part 1: Rule by consensus
Consensus rule is how Utah’s system of legislative lawmaking is designed to work. It is a feature, not a bug, of our governing system. The differences between consensus rule and majority rule are subtle but important.
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Learning from the example of Martin Luther King Jr.
As we commemorate the life and the civil rights successes of Martin Luther King Jr., we should remember that we can learn valuable lessons from both the achievements and the failures of our human heroes.
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2022 brings opportunity to renew the parent-teacher partnership
We have a chance to make 2022 the year that Utah showed its determination, for the sake of students, to rise above the current political temptation to polarize every issue – and instead renew the parent-teacher partnership.
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Utah’s successful vote-by-mail program
Utah’s VBM program successfully creates reasonable access to the ballot while adequately protecting election security and integrity.
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Learning about America through primary sources: Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education signified the early stages of a significant shift in the history of the United States. Only by learning from, understanding and applying the lessons of this history can the U.S. hope to better approach the…