Sutherland Institute
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Utah has led the nation on upward mobility. Here’s the next step
Securing Utah, and America, as the land of opportunity for future generations requires thinking in aspirational terms. It’s more than simply “tinkering” with existing programs — it’s transforming a system that is well-intentioned, and has helped many families, but has…
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Congress should empower states to fix benefit cliffs
The fear of such cliffs discourages low-income families across the country from taking steps that would otherwise help them gradually move out of poverty.
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Opportunity, not outrage, should define America’s next chapter. Utah can lead the way.
Moving toward a streamlined social welfare system that helps struggling families while better supporting the goal of work and independence, as envisioned in the war on poverty, is grounded in the deeply American principles of work, independence and compassion.
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The Supreme Court’s campaign finance ruling shows why states need a voice
State or national laws addressing campaign finance are made by legislators but are inevitably challenged in court and resolved after a time by judges. Whatever one thinks about the specific resolutions, our nation needs a robust debate about whether that…
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Sutherland Institute announces Todd Weiler as new President and CEO
Sutherland Institute announced today that following the completion of a national search, the board of directors has selected Utah state Senator Todd Weiler to be its new president and CEO.
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Audit shows lawmakers leading out on Utah Fits All Scholarship policy reforms
Despite the attention some of the audit expenses have received, the real news is that many of these concerns have already been addressed and rooted out.
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Education policy needs less symbolic action, more real impact
The gritty work of education policy, which has real impacts on students, comes from states or from federal policies that expand the work that states are trying to accomplish. That’s why attempts by the current administration to reduce federal bureaucracy…
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Understanding the Supreme Court’s biggest decisions in 2026 | Dr. Matthew Brogdon & Bill Duncan
Brogdon and Duncan explain why many popular interpretations you see online often fall short, and how we should be thinking about these cases instead.
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Sutherland Institute files amicus brief in Mid Vermont Christian School v. Saunders
The state cannot circumvent the Constitutional protection of religious exercise by imposing a de facto religious exclusion in its education funding laws or deny parents their right to exercise their responsibility to direct the education of their children.
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New Sutherland Institute report and polling show strong, bipartisan support for state innovation and “Empowerment Accounts” to simplify the safety net, lift people out of poverty
Empowerment accounts are a concept that would consolidate funding from multiple federal assistance programs – such as SNAP, TANF, child care assistance, and housing vouchers – into one streamlined, work-focused benefit.