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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...
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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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Episodes & Posts
Episodes
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14 JUL 2026 · The Supreme Court has spoken. And the internet has some...interesting opinions.Â
On this episode of Defending Ideas, Utah Valley University's Senior Director of the Center for Constitutional Studies Dr. Matthew Brogdon and Sutherland Institute's Bill Duncan discuss several of the Supreme Court's most talked-about rulings this year.Â
They unpack the legal reasoning behind the decisions on birthright citizenship, executive power, the Federal Reserve, and more. Brogdon and Duncan explain why many popular interpretations you see online often fall short, and how we should be thinking about these cases instead. 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
7 JUL 2026 · Is artificial intelligence something to fear—or a tool to help us thrive?
In this episode of Defending Ideas, host Nic Dunn talks with Shoshana Weissmann, Digital Director and Policy Advisor at Abundance Institute, about the positive opportunities AI creates for workers, patients, creators, and entrepreneurs.
Weissmann shares how AI has helped her navigate complex medical issues, as well as how she uses it every day to enhance her work. Dunn and Weissmann also discuss the principles that should guide smart AI policy so everyone can benefit from this technology. 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
30 JUN 2026 · Conservatism is at a crossroads. Does it stick with Trump-style populism, or embrace the principles of limited, effective government that led to some of the movement's biggest victories?
In this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn sits down with Tim Chapman, president of Advancing American Freedom, to discuss the future of conservatism, the enduring principles of the American founding, the rise of populism, and why constitutional structure, federalism, and civic institutions remain essential to preserving liberty. 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
23 JUN 2026 · 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 Dunn to discuss benefit cliffs, the Upward Mobility Act, and whether state-led innovation could help more families achieve self-reliance through things like empowerment accounts. 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
16 JUN 2026 · Election integrity is back in the headlines. But beneath the political arguments lies a more important question: what actually builds trust in elections?Â
On this episode of Defending Ideas, Nic Dunn is joined by Matthew Weil, Vice President of Governance and Bipartisanship at the Bipartisan Policy Center, along with Sutherland Institute Executive Director Derek Monson.
They discuss California’s ballot counting process, why states should learn from one another, a new survey on voter confidence, and why transparency, evidence, and citizen engagement remain essential to maintaining trust in American elections. 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
9 JUN 2026 · 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 elections?
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On this episode of Defending Ideas, https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ is joined by https://www.hoover.org/profiles/benjamin-ginsberg, Volker Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, election law expert, and former counsel to multiple Republican presidential campaigns, along with https://sutherlandinstitute.org/william-c-duncan/, Sutherland Institute's Constitutional Law Fellow.
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Their conversation explores the constitutional role of states in election administration, the limits of federal authority, the importance of institutional trust, and why federalism may offer a better framework for addressing election concerns moving 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
2 JUN 2026 · 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?Â
On this episode of Defending Ideas, host https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ is joined by https://freesocietycoalition.org/BoardOfGovernors, co-founder of the Free Society Coalition, and https://www.donorstrust.org/people/bio/lawson-r-bader/, president and CEO of DonorsTrust, to discuss the enduring ideas that shaped the American experiment. Their conversation explores individual dignity, natural rights, constitutional self-government, and how a renewed focus on America’s founding principles could help reduce political division and strengthen civic culture for the next 250 years.
Show notes:
- https://freesocietycoalition.org/PhiladelphiaDeclaration 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
26 MAY 2026 · 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, https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ speaks with two Utah representatives, https://house.utleg.gov/rep/DAILEJ/ and https://house.utleg.gov/rep/IVORYK/, about the constitutional balance between state and federal power.
They discuss polarization, congressional dysfunction, the role of states as laboratories of democracy, and why shifting more decisions to local communities could improve both governance and civic trust. 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
19 MAY 2026 · 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 download apps?
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On this episode of Defending Ideas, https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ is joined by Joel Thayer, president of the https://digitalprogress.tech/, Chris Marchese, founder and co-director of the https://netchoice.org/team/chris-marchese/, and Sutherland Institute Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow https://sutherlandinstitute.org/william-c-duncan/ for a thoughtful discussion about parental rights, free speech, consumer protection, and the growing debate over App Store accountability laws. Their conversation explores the tension between protecting children online and preserving constitutional freedoms in the digital age.
Show notes:
- https://sutherlandinstitute.org/why-states-are-right-on-app-store-age-laws/
- https://sutherlandinstitute.org/the-case-for-app-store-age-verification-to-protect-kids-online/
- https://sutherlandinstitute.org/faq-utahs-app-store-age-verification-bill/
- https://sutherlandinstitute.org/app-store-regulations-are-necessary-constitutional-and-popular/
- https://sutherlandinstitute.org/a-deeper-look-at-utah-voters-support-for-requiring-app-stores-to-verify-age/
- https://sutherlandinstitute.org/congress-should-follow-utahs-lead-on-protecting-kids-online-with-app-store-law/ 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 http://defendingideas.org/
Transcribed
12 MAY 2026 · Many conversations about artificial intelligence focus on fear, risk, and worst-case scenarios. But what if we’re asking the wrong questions? Host https://sutherlandinstitute.org/nic-dunn/ is joined by https://clarionai.com/about, founder and CEO of Clarion AI Partners, along with Sutherland Institute's https://sutherlandinstitute.org/derek-monson/, to explore how AI is already positively affecting health care, education, government, and family life. Their conversation examines the promise and risks of AI, the difference between regulating development versus deployment, and why Utah’s approach to AI governance is emerging as a national model for innovation and responsible policymaking. Show notes:
- https://sutherlandinstitute.org/utah-ai-doom-or-boom/ 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 http://defendingideas.org/
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...
show more
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.
show less
Information
| Author | Sutherland Institute |
| Organization | Sutherland Institute |
| Categories | Politics , Non-Profit , Society & Culture |
| Website | defendingideas.org |
| comms@sifreedom.org |
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