The welfare maze no one can navigate | Clarence H. Carter

The welfare maze no one can navigate | Clarence H. Carter

According to some estimates, America spends nearly $1.5 trillion each year across 114 federal programs designed to fight poverty and support vulnerable families. So why do so many families remain stuck?

On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn sits down with Clarence H. Carter, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services and author of "Our Net Has Holes in It," for an inside look at America’s social safety net from someone who has spent more than three decades administering it at the federal, state, and local levels.

Carter argues that the core problem isn’t a lack of compassion or funding — it’s a lack of shared vision. Instead of orienting public benefits around America’s founding ideal of freedom, the system has become a maze of disconnected programs that too often trap families through benefit cliffs, perverse incentives, and bureaucratic complexity. As Carter puts it, the safety net should not merely deliver benefits — it should expand human freedom and help families move toward work-based self-reliance.

The conversation explores comprehensive reform, state-led innovation, the Upward Mobility Act, and why empowering states to test integrated solutions may be the most realistic path forward.

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.

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Avsnitt(152)

The U.S. needs a new safety net | Angela Rachidi

The U.S. needs a new safety net | Angela Rachidi

Congress is considering a major anti-poverty reform: giving states more flexibility to redesign welfare and social safety net programs.In this episode, AEI Senior Fellow Angela Rachidi joins host Nic ...

23 Juni 44min

The roadmap to restore trust in elections | Matthew Weil & Derek Monson

The roadmap to restore trust in elections | Matthew Weil & Derek Monson

Election integrity is back in the headlines. But beneath the political arguments lies a more important question: what actually builds trust in elections? On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn i...

16 Juni 47min

Rebuilding trust in America's elections | Ben Ginsberg & Bill Duncan

Rebuilding trust in America's elections | Ben Ginsberg & Bill Duncan

Debates over election integrity have dominated American politics for years. But beneath many of those disagreements lies a deeper constitutional question: who should be responsible for administering e...

9 Juni 44min

What the Declaration of Independence still teaches us | Jay Lapeyre & Lawson Bader

What the Declaration of Independence still teaches us | Jay Lapeyre & Lawson Bader

As America marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, an important question remains: what do the nation’s founding principles have to say about the challenges we face today? On th...

2 Juni 53min

Can a return to federalism fix our politics? | Rep. Ken Ivory & Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost

Can a return to federalism fix our politics? | Rep. Ken Ivory & Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost

What if one of the biggest solutions to America’s political dysfunction isn’t electing better people, but restoring the principles of federalism?In this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn speaks wit...

26 Maj 56min

Who should protect kids online? | Joel Thayer & Chris Marchese

Who should protect kids online? | Joel Thayer & Chris Marchese

As lawmakers debate how to protect children online, a major legal and constitutional question is emerging: should app stores be required to verify users’ ages and involve parents before minors downloa...

19 Maj 57min

Are we thinking about AI the wrong way? | Bennett Borden

Are we thinking about AI the wrong way? | Bennett Borden

Many conversations about artificial intelligence focus on fear, risk, and worst-case scenarios. But what if we’re asking the wrong questions? Host Nic Dunn is joined by Bennett Borden, founder and CEO...

12 Maj 43min

Is the Supreme Court as political as we think? | Sarah Isgur

Is the Supreme Court as political as we think? | Sarah Isgur

The U.S. Supreme Court is often portrayed as just another political battleground. But that is a fundamental misunderstanding of its role.On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn speaks with Sarah ...

5 Maj 43min

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