Blog Posts
Insight: University of Utah casts immense economic and societal footprint in Utah
By: Andrea Brandley and Juliette Tennert When one considers a university, the initial benefits that come to mind include those resulting from students receiving a college education. These benefits are vast on both an individual and a societal level including increased earnings, increased economic mobility, healthier lifestyles, decreased crime, increased volunteerism, increased voter participation, reduced reliance on public assistance, and reduced poverty rate. However, universities can contribute to a society in many diverse ways.[i] […]
Insight: COVID-19 and the 2020 Census
By: Mallory Bateman Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. The latest available data shows Utah’s response rate to the 2020 Census at 61.6%. While this response rate is the seventh highest in the nation, within the state there are some disparities. A quick glance at the county-level response map shows that our urban counties are driving the high response, while our rural and more[...]
Insight: Helping Prevent Type 2 Diabetes, One State at a Time
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute is working with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to Help States Expand Medicaid Coverage of the National Diabetes Prevention Program By: Laura Summers Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. On March 11th, 2020, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), along with the Centers for Disease Control[...]
Insight: Here’s how Utah can avoid a ‘double-dip recession’ and end the COVID-19 economic misery
By: Natalie Gochnour Originally published in the Deseret News Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. The economic pain from COVID-19 continues to build. Since late February, approximately 125,000 Utahns (8% of the workforce) have been furloughed or laid off. More job separations are certainly on the way. We are all asking, “When will the economic misery end?” […]
Insight: A Poorly Timed Price War
By: Thomas Holst Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. […]
Insight: Addressing Opioid Use Disorder During COVID-19
By: Laura Summers Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Right now it seems that all anyone can talk about is COVID-19, and rightly so. We are in the midst of a life-threatening public health crisis that has shut down our economy and forced Americans to change the way we do business, interact with our families, and live our everyday lives. And while the magnitude[...]
Insight: 2019 Subcounty Estimates Share City, Tract Population Changes
By: Natalie Young Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. […]
Insight: Be Counted!
By: Natalie Gochnour Originally published in Utah Business Magazine Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Twenty-one years ago, I was in a car in our nation’s capital with demographers from Missouri and Illinois. The head of the Population Division for the U.S. Census Bureau had just picked us up from our hotel and was driving us across Key Bridge into Georgetown. We were in[...]
Insight: The Retirement of American FactFinder
By: Mallory Bateman You might know that April 1 is Census Day, or the point of reference for the 2020 Census. What you might not know is that on March 31, 2020, American FactFinder will be going offline. For the past decade and a half, American FactFinder (AFF) has been the way for the public to access the Census Bureau’s data. While the interface could be challenging and navigation was not always intuitive, AFF served its purpose and became a go-to resource. Over that time, technology and the types of data requests coming from the public have changed and a[...]
Insight: COVID-19 Pandemic Creates Unprecedented Challenges for Utah’s Tourism Industry
By: Jennifer Leaver Note: The opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not reflect an institutional position of the Gardner Institute. We hope the opinions shared contribute to the marketplace of ideas and help people as they formulate their own INFORMED DECISIONS™. Right now, my husband is at the kitchen table typing on his laptop, my son is sitting at the kitchen counter working on a math-based web platform, and my teenage daughter is in her bedroom video chatting with her science class. I am stationed at a small desk in my bedroom, our two cats snoozing[...]