Sutherland Institute
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Novel lawsuit argues that Utah constitution provides right to a mask mandate
Is there a constitutional right to a mask mandate? That’s the question raised by a lawsuit recently filed in Utah.
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Mask mandate uproar is a civics lesson in real time
Whatever the next mask mandate dispute or controversy may be, it should remind us of the importance of understanding how our government works. The more we lose that understanding, the more that mask mandates and similar issues will feel like…
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Are vaccine mandates constitutional?
The experience of Indiana University suggests that courts are likely to be especially sympathetic to mandates when they include exemptions. Where those affected by the mandate are given the opportunity to show medical or other reasons why they should be…
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Learning about America through primary sources: The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers are a civics education in and of themselves. Written with the intent to explain particulars in the Constitution, the collection of essays helps readers today understand the mechanisms found within the Constitution and the political and philosophical…
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Parental control: The dramatic legal history over directing a child’s religion and education
These cases, taken together, form the foundation for the now well-established right of a parent to make decisions on behalf of their child, free of government coercion, except for cases of abuse or unfitness. It is also yet another example…
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State board of education meeting makes case for curriculum transparency
The win-win potential of curriculum transparency is important, since survey data suggests that parents and teachers are on the same page when it comes to things like civics and history education – where classroom politicization is most likely to occur.
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Social benefits of religious schools extend beyond education
Research suggests that students educated in private schools are more likely to vote as adults. Another study found students “educated in Protestant secondary schools are considerably more likely than other young people to continue to volunteer.”
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A system ‘where money follows the children, not schools’: A Q&A with Allison Sorensen
“Education policy is one of the things we tend to play a game of ‘whack-a-mole’ much too often,” Sorensen says. “The reality is we could solve a lot of these problems by creating a more market-based system where the parent…
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Religious Freedom 101: A brief history of America’s first freedom
Religious freedom has always been an essential part of the American experiment. Original colonists in the 1600s fled religious oppression and founded four of the first American colonies. Later, the new United States enshrined religious freedom in the First Amendment.
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Football coach who lost job after post-game prayers heads back to Supreme Court
Coach Kennedy’s attorneys will again seek review by the Supreme Court. This could provide the court an opportunity to clarify what rights public employees have to privately act on their beliefs. That clarity would be helpful for employers and employees…