Rick B. Larsen

The separation of families at the U.S. border provides a lesson that could change the trajectory of our nation and the manner in which we approach our most difficult challenges. The lesson: Some issues are impossible to address within the…

Since joining the Sutherland Institute, I am often asked: what exactly is a think tank? A fair question. But more important, perhaps, is this: Are think tanks of benefit to you? Can they assist you in deciding what you think? The Economist explains…

Originally published by Utah Policy. When accidents occur in auto racing, spectators get so caught up in the carnage and the speed at which it all happens that they have little time to consider what might have set the whole…

Originally published by the Deseret News. Trust seems to be going out of style like a fashion craze that no longer suits us. We are phasing out trust in our institutions, the media and even among each other. If trust…

Published on April 18, 2018 Originally published in the Deseret News. Local caucus meetings are over, party conventions are here and the midterm election is in November. Conventional wisdom — or at least voter turnout — suggests midterms are less…

Originally published in the Deseret News. Society is shaped by our collective choices, the demands we make of elected representatives and the laws that result. Today, demands for societal change are rampant. Movements like #MeToo and #NeverAgain reflect the strongest…

Originally published by the Deseret News. Despite its complexity and absence of empathy, math always has served as the arbiter of fact vs. opinion. But when the math itself comes into question, we are left to partisan interpretations — and…

Originally published in the Deseret News. Headlines describe an America in decline. Our better angels seem absent, and every vice that can be labeled uniquely American is on full display. Our United States of America feels anything but united. We…

Originally published in the Deseret News. Truth in America is in trouble. For many of us, it is difficult to know what to believe anymore, and we are facing a crisis of trust in the media and in our institutions.…

Originally published in the Deseret News. In my previous career as a business and philanthropic consultant, I often accompanied financial planners advising people who were about to inherit significant amounts of money. My role was to provide insights into effective…