Sutherland Institute
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Perfectionism and the American story
Under the guise of penitent cultural self-examination, critics of American values and institutions have argued that the faults of America’s past unavoidably undermine all that is good in America now. Such a view is perilously deceptive because it tricks us…
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Texas abortion case: a civics lesson on the federal court system
As the U.S. has grown through its history and adapted to new circumstances, so, too, has the judicial branch. Its history suggests that it will continue to do so into the future.
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Supreme Court decisions establish precedent for future cases
Even though the Supreme Court does not resolve a large proportion of the cases that are presented to it, the decisions it does issue reverberate to affect many other disputes through the principle of precedent. Its decisions on a handful…
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A brief history of vote by mail
For many voters, 2020 may have been their first experience with voting by mail. However, VBM in both the United States and Utah specifically is not new. In America, VBM has a history that spans centuries.
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Why the judiciary is so distinct: It was designed to react, not initiate action
The judiciary branch is designed as a responsive, not proactive, branch of government. The court can’t tell Congress not to pass an unconstitutional law or tell the president not to issue a legally invalid order. It must wait until after…
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Celebrating our founding ideals: A Q&A with Celebrate Freedom author Bill Mattox
In a Q&A with Sutherland’s Derek Monson, Bill Mattox of the James Madison Institute explains his Celebrate Freedom curriculum, which has reached over a million Florida high school students.
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Learning about America through primary sources: Dred Scott decision
It’s difficult to understand historical events critical to the modern American civic fabric – such as the Civil War and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – without first understanding Dred Scott, a Supreme Court ruling in 1857.
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Latest Supreme Court religious freedom case: Boston flagpole dispute
Last week, the court announced it would hear another case involving a claim of unequal treatment.
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Athletic uniforms and religious freedom: Illinois takes a positive step
Recently, Illinois became the first state to enact legislation that would protect the ability of people of faith to participate in school athletics (both in high school and college) without having to abandon their commitment to live consistent with standards…
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Some historical context for Supreme Court abortion case
The specific question the court will consider is whether states are permitted by the U.S. Constitution to allow abortions prior to viability. In the background, however, is a much more significant question: whether the nearly 50-year-old decision by the court…