Insights & Takeaways
Insights & Takeaways is Sutherland Institute’s official blog that informs the public and policymakers alike. The blog addresses important issues through the two distinct yet complementary lenses of the seasoned policy professional and the engaged citizen.
Insights: analysis, research, and informed commentary from Sutherland experts. For elected officials and public policy professionals.
Takeaways: the most important things voters need to know. For civically engaged citizens.
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Gov. Cox’s new budget proposal looks good – but one thing’s missing
Read More: Gov. Cox’s new budget proposal looks good – but one thing’s missingIn a year with nearly $2 billion in new taxpayer dollars to potentially spend, prudent fiscal stewardship via avoiding excess is no simple task.
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What we’ve learned about religious freedom during the pandemic
Read More: What we’ve learned about religious freedom during the pandemicAs the pandemic restrictions were just settling in, Sutherland noted that the situation was an important “stress test” for how the government would treat fundamental rights, like religious exercise. Now…
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Lessons from the D.C. riot
Read More: Lessons from the D.C. riotThere are reasons for optimism and hope despite disturbing violence coming out of Washington, D.C. this week. Our democracy is not about to crumble; we have seen such events before…
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Ed innovation: Here’s what’s going well in 2021
Read More: Ed innovation: Here’s what’s going well in 2021Two state policies, a new grassroots education development and a Supreme Court case from the last year offer reasons for hope and optimism moving forward.
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How ritual animal slaughter is related to religious freedom and protection of minorities
Read More: How ritual animal slaughter is related to religious freedom and protection of minoritiesThe value of constitutional protections is highest when they are necessary to protect those who would not be protected in the normal political process.
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Curriculum transparency: why your school needs it
Read More: Curriculum transparency: why your school needs itAs a culture war continues to heat up around subjects like American history and civics, it seems obvious that parents – not policymakers – ought to make the final call…
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2021 needs two things to bounce back from 2020
Read More: 2021 needs two things to bounce back from 2020During this first full week of 2021, many feel relieved that 2020 is behind us: We’ve concluded a tumultuous year of pandemic lockdowns, economic hardship and election controversy. Beyond that…
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Lessons for religious freedom in last-minute rulemaking
Read More: Lessons for religious freedom in last-minute rulemakingIt is not uncommon for presidents to try to quickly get some things done before they leave office. This particular action, though, highlights some important realities.
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Government leaders should not pit other interests against religious freedom
Read More: Government leaders should not pit other interests against religious freedomWith the change in presidential administrations, speculation (and advice) about the relative priority to give to religious freedom concerns is rising.
