How states can improve transparency to rein in federal agencies and restore federalism
State government agencies are supposed to be accountable to that state’s voters through their elected representatives. But what happens when federal agencies try to directly influence what state agenc...
28 Jan 202549min
What's next for Utah's effort to return federal public lands to state control?
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Utah’s public lands lawsuit. So what does this mean for the states' prospects for having stronger management of land within their own borders?On this episode, N...
21 Jan 202530min
Why Utah Gov. Spencer Cox focused on social capital in his second inaugural
Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox, who was recently inaugurated for a second term, laid out a vision for the next for years for Utah in his inauguration speech. So what does it really take for a state to be su...
14 Jan 202543min
Work Disincentives and the Safety Net: Insights from the Atlanta Fed's Alex Ruder
If you work harder and earn more, your family should be better off. But for some on the government safety net, that may not always be the case. On this episode, Nic Dunn sits down with the Federal Res...
7 Jan 202545min
What 2024 means for the nation's political future, with Jason Perry and Maura Carabello
As 2024 winds down, what do the results of this election year mean for the future of politics and policy debates for the United States? On this episode, we look back on a tumultuous election year and ...
17 Dec 202447min
Why the Supreme Court should take up Utah's public lands case
The federal government controls nearly 70% of the land in Utah, and has for a long time. Is this a problem? And if so, what should be done about it?On this episode, we discuss Utah's new lawsuit askin...
10 Dec 202446min
Should the U.S. Department of Education be abolished?
Should the U.S. Department of Education be abolished? That’s one of the questions that the new presidential administration and the new Congress may grapple with in 2025. But what does this mean for a ...
3 Dec 202456min
Navigating political disagreement during the holidays
This episode of Defending Ideas is a special holiday message. Host Nic Dunn draws from themes of past episodes to offer a framework for navigating political disagreement with loved ones during the hol...
26 Nov 20245min
