Public Policy
The Gardner Institute provides data-driven, context-specific insights about public policy in Utah. We prepare in-depth quantitative and qualitative studies on key Utah issues in partnership with private-sector stakeholders and state and local government. Our research provides vital information decision-makers and the public use to help Utah prosper.
Insight: The Geography of Manufacturing in Utah
By: Max Backlund 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: Utah’s Seasonal Employee Housing Conundrum
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™. Sep 8, 2021 – Across the West, resort and recreation towns are no strangers to employee housing availability and affordability problems—but are these problems worsening? […]
Preparing for the Future: The Potential Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 on Utah’s Child and Youth Mental Health
Understanding the potential impact of these issues will be important to ensuring a thriving future for Utah’s children.
The Connection between COVID-19 and Type 2 Diabetes: Underscoring the Need for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
Research increasingly shows that individuals with type 2 diabetes face a greater chance of experiencing severe complications from COVID-19.
Insight: What Goes Up Must Come Down? The Muddled Post-Pandemic Inflation Picture
By: Phil Dean 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™. Aug 26, 2021 – More than any time in recent memory, inflation is a hotly debated economic topic. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) July price change as measured by the seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows a 5.3% year-over-year overall increase (5.4% when not seasonally adjusted). […]
Insight: Public-Private Partnerships for Public Purpose
By: Meredith King 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™. […]
A Visual Guide to Tax Modernization in Utah: User Fees
The 2020 Census results confirmed what Utah residents already sensed: the Beehive State grew faster than any state in the country over the past decade, more than doubling the national growth rate. Growth brings opportunity, but it also brings challenges, as Utahns need an affordable place to live, water to care for basic needs, roads and other infrastructure to support a rapidly growing economy, clean air to breathe, schools and teachers to develop the workforce, and many other attributes of quality growth. In the coming years, Utah leaders must make significant investments if the state is to continue to prosper[...]
Insight: Utah’s Uninsured Population May Look Different After the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends
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™. Aug 5, 2021 – One thought that struck me as I was preparing for a recent meeting was how the characteristics of Utah’s uninsured population may have changed over the last year and a half―and how we don’t yet know what Utah’s uninsured population will look like until the public health emergency ends. This is[...]
Insight: Public Asset Development in Utah
By: Max Backlund and Dejan Eskic Note: The opinions expressed are those of the authors 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™. Aug 4, 2021 – Public finance is one of those topics that few people ever plan to research, but here we are writing a blog post about it. And, here you are reading a blog post about it. So, before you read too far along and become enraptured by the idea of[...]
Insight: The Little Engine that Could
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™. Aug 2, 2021 – Shareholder pressure is forcing a global oil and gas company to reduce its carbon footprint. […]