Defending Ideas

Hosted by Sutherland Institute

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168

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Oct 2026

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Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, by equipping listeners to become more effective champions of sound principle and good policy. Visit defendingideas.org .

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60 recent

October 13, 202637 min

Who runs elections best? A 50-state ranking | Chris McIsaac

Which states have the strongest election policies? And what can they teach us about how elections should really be run? R Street Institute's Chris McIsaac joins Defending Ideas to discuss a new 50-state election scorecard. The ranking judges states on 18 policies, including voter registration, voter verification, how lists are maintained, early voting, and vote-by-mail. McIsaac also dives into how ballots are counted, what happens during audits, and what sets Utah and other top ranking states apart. The conversation with host Nic Dunn also covers hot button topics like AI-generated deepfakes, election misinformation, and why it's better for states to run elections instead of the federal government. Show notes: Election Policy Landscape Stabilizes as Midterms Approach: Series Introduction Election Policy Landscape Stabilizes as Midterms Approach—Part 1: Citizenship Verification The R Street Institute's Election Policy 50-State Scorecard 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.

October 6, 202635 min

Do religious institutions deserve constitutional protection? | William J. Haun & Bill Duncan

Are religious institutions afforded special rights under the Constitution? And what does that mean for religious liberty, the rule of law, and the role of government? On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn talks with William J. Haun, nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and senior counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and Sutherland’s Bill Duncan, about the constitutional role of religious institutions and why religious freedom is about more than government exemptions and accommodations. They discuss the growing number of legal battles over religious freedom, why churches and other religious institutions deserve space to govern themselves, and how strong civil society can help prevent government from becoming the center of everything. The conversation also explores the distinct roles of the family, religious institutions, and government—and why protecting those institutions is essential to a free and self-governing society. Show notes: Not to Caesar but to Peter by William J. Haun Religious Freedom and Parental Authority by William C. Duncan 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.

September 29, 202642 min

Will AI kill us in 10 years? | Chris Koopman & Ford Copple

Is AI really on track to destroy humanity, or are we confusing small risks with science fiction? On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn sits down with Chris Koopman, CEO of Abundance Institute, and Ford Copple, tech policy analyst at Sutherland Institute, to discuss the growing debate over AI safety, regulation, data centers, and technological innovation. They look at one of the biggest questions surrounding AI: how seriously should we take predictions of catastrophe? Koopman and Copple say there is a difference between real criminal threats, like cyberattacks and scams, and doomsday scenarios that probably won't happen. The conversation then explores the controversies over data centers. Copple explains what his research shows about construction jobs, permanent employment, and tax revenue, while Koopman discusses how communities can best evaluate the potential benefits of data center projects. Dunn, Koopman, and Copple also explore AI regulation, energy demand, nuclear power, and how communities can make evidence-based decisions about rapidly changing technology without either ignoring legitimate concerns or allowing fear to dictate policy. 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.

September 22, 202646 min

Rethinking Head Start | Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams

Head Start is at the center of a heated public debate over federal regulations and how best to support families. But what exactly should the federal government do, and what should states be empowered to do, to fix America’s social safety net? On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn speaks with Alex Adams, Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), about his efforts to reduce ineffective federal regulations and give states more room to innovate. Dunn and Secretary Adams also discuss the 30th anniversary of TANF and what its history can teach us about the future of social welfare reform. The conversation examines broader safety-net reform, federalism, state leadership, and the balance between federal accountability and local flexibility. Adams argues that, ultimately, federal oversight should focus on outcomes, taxpayer accountability, and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse. That gives states and localities greater freedom to decide how to best help their friends and neighbors. 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.

September 15, 202641 min

America has a community problem. Here’s why it matters | Michael Tanner

What would America look like without strong families, churches, civic organizations and local communities? We're starting to find out and the picture is...not good. But there is a better way to live. Michael Tanner, Senior Fellow at FREOPP, joins host Nic Dunn to explain why civil society is so important and why its decline should concern all Americans. Tanner and Dunn explore how good civil society can strengthen relationships, increase happiness, reduce political tribalism, and help Americans rediscover a sense of shared community. They discuss why Americans should put down their phones, ignore most national political battles, and spend more time investing in family, friends, and faith communities. Show notes: Civil Society Under Threat – https://freopp.org/whitepapers/civil-society-under-threat/ 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.

September 8, 202645 min

Can states lead the next welfare reform movement? | Daniel Erspamer

America’s social safety net is supposed to help families through difficult times, ultimately moving people toward work and independence. But navigating a maze of disconnected programs and agencies can make that goal harder to achieve. The good news is that there is a solution. On this episode of Defending Ideas , host Nic Dunn talks with Daniel J. Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute, about Louisiana’s effort to create a “One Door to Work” model. This initiative brings safety net and workforce programs together around a common goal: helping people get jobs and achieve financial independence. They discuss what Louisiana has accomplished, what the state learned from Utah, the federal barriers that remain, and why giving states more flexibility could lead to better welfare reform across the country. The conversation also explores why state-led experimentation has played such an important role in past welfare reforms and why a new generation of states could help reshape America’s safety net around upward mobility. 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.

September 1, 202646 min

Can the states fix what Washington can’t? | Sen. John Curtis

Could giving states more freedom to experiment help America find better answers to our toughest challenges? On this episode of Defending Ideas , Sen. John Curtis of Utah joins host Nic Dunn to discuss how state-level experimentation can lead to better policy on some of the country’s most difficult questions. From AI and data centers to wildfire prevention, forest management, and public lands, Curtis and Dunn explore why a marketplace of ideas generally leads to better outcomes than a one-size-fits-some approach. Curtis also explains why he believes policymakers should embrace pilot programs, encourage innovation, and demand accountability so they can learn what works – and what doesn’t. 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.

August 25, 202641 min

The Next Welfare Reform: Paul Ryan on Work, Technology, and RISE Pilots

Thirty years after the landmark welfare reform law, what should the next generation of social safety-net reform look like? Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan joins Defending Ideas to discuss the future of welfare reform and how policymakers can build a system today that helps more families move toward work and economic independence. Speaker Ryan and host Nic Dunn examine RISE pilots, a state-led approach that tests whether combining multiple welfare benefits into a single, trackable monthly payment can simplify the social safety net, improve work incentives, and help families move out of poverty. The conversation explores how technology could help reduce benefit cliffs, better coordinate programs, and improve accountability. Ryan explains why states should have the freedom to test different welfare reform approaches and why good data is essential if we want to know what works before expanding reforms more broadly. Ryan, who is also the founder of the American Idea Foundation, a professor of the practice at the University of Notre Dame, and a Distinguished Visiting Fellow in the Practice of Public Policy at AEI, discusses with Dunn universal basic income and why RISE offers a more promising path forward for welfare reform and, ultimately, people's economic independence. Show Notes: Reforming the Safety Net through RISE Pilot Programs - American Idea Foundation Americans Are Getting Caught in the Safety Net - Paul Ryan and Les Ford Wall Street Journal op-ed The Safety Net We’d Build Today: Empowerment Accounts as a State-Led Pilot Concept - Nic Dunn report for Sutherland Institute 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.

August 18, 202641 min

The hidden problem with America’s safety net | Erine Gray

America spends a ton of money on our social safety net, yet many people still feel trapped. That means maybe the biggest problem isn't how much we spend. On this episode of Defending Ideas, Erine Gray, founder and CEO of Findhelp, joins Nic Dunn to explain why navigating America's fragmented network of government programs, nonprofits, churches, and other community organizations can be just as hard as qualifying for the benefits themselves. Gray shares the personal experiences that led him to build Findhelp , what he learned working inside Texas' public-benefits system during the financial crisis, and why he believes AI, better data, and greater coordination could make the safety net more effective, without adding more programs or spending. 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.

August 11, 202638 min

Why America needs a principled center-right | Todd Weiler

What can Utah teach America about the future of conservatism? On this episode of Defending Ideas , Nic Dunn sits down with Todd Weiler, the new president and CEO of Sutherland Institute and a member of the Utah State Senate. They discuss the future of the conservative movement, the importance of principled and evidence-based policymaking, and why states may be better positioned than Washington, D.C., to tackle some of America's biggest challenges by bringing policymaking closer to the people it affects. Weiler shares his vision for Sutherland and explains why Utah's experience – from family policy and religious freedom to immigration, affordability and a citizen legislature – offers lessons that other states and the nation can learn from. They also explore why returning to true center-right conservatism could be the way to fix many of the rifts in our current politics. 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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