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: 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™. Apr 20, 2020 – 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.[...]
Moving Toward Evidence-Based Programs: Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Utah
Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in Utah, and opioid-related drug overdoses are a significant contributor to the rise in drug overdose deaths in recent history. In 2018, close to half of all opioid overdose deaths were prescription related, and 47% involved illicit opioids such as heroin. Fortunately, opioid use disorder (OUD) can be treated. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is “a combination of psychosocial therapy and U.S. Food and Drug Administration– approved medication”iii and has positive, evidence-based effects on OUD.
Measuring Economic Diversity: The Hachman Index, 2018
Utah is a leader among U.S. states for industrial diversity. A Hachman Index analysis using 2018 GDP data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and aggregated to the two-digit NAICS code, reveals that Utah’s industrial distribution is very similar to that of the United States.
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™. Mar 27, 2020 – 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,[...]
Ivory-Boyer Construction Report, Year-End 2019
In 2019, the value of permit-authorized construction in Utah totaled $9.8 billion, the highest year ever in both current and inflation-adjusted dollars. Sixty percent of the total construction value was in the residential sector, which rose 12.5% from 2018 to $5.8 billion. The strength of the residential sector is a result of robust growth in multifamily development. Apartments alone experienced an 80.6% increase in units from 2018. Nonresidential construction value in 2019 was $2.6 billion. Activity in the office and professional, and industrial and warehouse sectors drove commercial construction value in the state at $693.2 million and $671.9 million, respectively.[...]
Insight: Economic Fundamentals Will Make for Swift Recovery from COVID-19 Pandemic
By: James Wood 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™. Mar 13, 2020 – The financial market turmoil and daily life disruptions caused by the COVID-19 virus seem extraordinary. Other flu pandemics, at least to my memory, did not involve empty grocery store shelves, cancellation of an NBA season, travel bans, and quarantines of cities and, in some cases, country lock-downs. That’s to name a[...]
Insight: Despite Public Health Concerns, Utah’s Fiscal House is in Order
By: Juliette Tennert 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™. Mar 12, 2020 – Earlier this year, we started to hear about a mysterious virus popping up in China. At that time, I never would have imagined that Governor Herbert would be declaring a state of emergency, and the University of Utah, where I work and teach, would be moving classes online for more than[...]
Insight: The Best Preparation? Arming Yourself with Good Information
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™. Mar 12, 2020 – There are a lot of unknowns about the coronavirus (COVID-19), but one thing for certain is the daily flood of information we get about it through news, emails, social media, and chats around the water cooler. Some of this information is good and helpful, but it’s important to be able to[...]