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.
Housing Affordability: What Are Best Practices and Why Are They Important?
A survey of leading housing practitioners identified five “best practices” for meeting the housing affordability challenge in Utah. This study examines why these practices are “best practices,” the implementation of the practice, and the outcomes produced.
Fact Sheet: Estimates for Utah’s Middle Class in 2019
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute prepares regular estimates of the population size of Utah’s middle class. The Gardner Institute bases its estimates on household income, compared with state medians and federal poverty guidelines by household size. This fact sheet provides Utah decision-makers with information about income classes in the state in 2019. After the U.S. Census Bureau releases 2020 data in November 2021, the Gardner Institute will issue a full report.
Insight: Administration Changes
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™. President-elect Joe Biden announced the United States would rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA) on the first day he enters office. What is the PCA and why is it important? The PCA, signed in 2015 by 189 countries, aims to curb greenhouse gas emissions, thereby keeping global average temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees[...]
Utah’s Economic Exceptionalism
On my drive home from work on March 11, 2020, I could tell something was awry. The Utah Jazz game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was set to tip off, but the radio play-by-play announcer seemed confused. Players and officials mingled on the court, but nobody walked to the center circle for tipoff. There was a long pause, and then an even longer one. Then the news broke: Utah Jazz all-star Rudy Gobert tested positive for Covid-19. The officials suspended the game and within hours the NBA suspended the season. That same day, the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a[...]
Utah’s Industry Cluster Supply Chains: A Regional Analysis
This report presents Utah’s economic regions and analyzes the supply chains of significant industry clusters located within those regions. Regional clusters purchase significant shares of inputs from within the region or from other regions in Utah.
Utah’s Economic Regions
The Utah economy organizes systematically into six economic regions. These regions capture local commuting patterns and score well for other measures of economic connection.
Utah Homeless Services: Governance Structure and Funding Model
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute prepared this assessment of Utah’s homeless services governance structure and funding at the request of the Utah Legislature and the philanthropic community. This assessment involved a collaborative review process of the governance structure and funding model in Utah. Utah has made strides towards our goal of making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. This is a tribute to the service providers and leaders of this state. The next step is to create a simpler, more transparent, and coordinated system for homeless services that will better serve those in need. We offer these six recommendations to[...]
October 2020 Economic Summary
Utah’s nonagricultural employment decreased by an estimated 0.9%, or 14,800 jobs, between September 2019 and September 2020. Nationally, employment decreased by 6.4%, or 9.7 million jobs, between September 2019 and September 2020.
Insight: COVID-19 Spotlights Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Utah
By: Andrea Thomas Brandley 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™. As COVID-19 continues to spread, data reveal unequal impacts across population groups. Communities of color nationwide have been hit hard by the coronavirus, and Utah is no exception. The Hispanic/Latino population is Utah’s largest minority group. While they make up 14.2% of the state’s population, they account for 29.5% of COVID-19 cases and 20.9%[...]