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: Six economic rules to help Utah during a pandemic
By: Natalie Gochnour Originally published in the Deseret News. Mar 11, 2020 – The onslaught of information about the coronavirus can do as much harm as good, particularly when it comes to the economy. In what some have called an “infodemic” Utahns like me are asking questions: How do I keep myself and the people I love safe? What sources of information should I trust? Is our response proportionate to the risk? Are we overreacting and hurting our economy in the process? How do we synchronize the public health imperative with sound economic reasoning? I can’t answer these questions with[...]
February 2020 Economic Summary
Utah’s total personal income reached $156.1 billion* in the third quarter of 2019, rising 6.0% from the third quarter of 2018. Utah’s growth ranked 3rd in the nation. Nationally, personal income increased 4.5% over the same period.
Insight: State Budget Report Cards Out, Utah a Model Student
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 3, 2020 – The Volcker Alliance gave Utah high marks in state budget practices in its recently released Truth and Integrity in State Budgeting: The Balancing Act report. […]
Insight: Clearing Utah’s Air
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™. Feb 27, 2020 – The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute this month delivered The Utah Roadmap to Legislative leadership. This study outlines policy options for reducing Utah’s air pollutant emissions and greenhouse gases. Since the study arrived after the 2020 Utah Legislature convened, the Utah Roadmap’s policy options may wait until the 2021 session for[...]
Insight: What’s Driving Our Office Real Estate Growth?
By: Dejan Eskic 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™. Feb 21, 2020 – Driving up and down the I-15 corridor, few things are as evident as the growth in the number of new office buildings. The last decade saw approximately 11.5 million square feet of new office space constructed in Utah and Salt Lake counties. Between 2010 and 2019, Utah County’s market size nearly[...]
A Roadmap for Improving Utah’s Behavioral Health System, 2020
Utah is in the midst of a behavioral health crisis. High suicide rates, untreated anxiety and depression, serious mental illness, and high rates of opioid use disorder and other drug-related deaths are all signs of the need for accessible, affordable, and comprehensive behavioral health services.
Insight: Utah’s Energy Industry
By: John Downen 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™. Feb 11, 2020 – Energy is fundamental to the functioning of a modern economy. It enables every production process, whether of goods or services, and facilitates practically every human endeavor. […]
Economic Impacts of Utah’s Energy Industry, 2017
Utah’s diverse energy industry plays a significant role in the state’s economy. It encompasses traditional fossil fuels and renewable resources. The mining sector produces crude oil, natural gas, and coal. Power producers generate electricity from hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind, and biomass resources and distribute it within the state and across the western U.S. Five refineries process crude oil from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Canada, and Utah has the only licensed and operating uranium mill in the country. Dozens of firms manufacture machinery for mining and the oil and gas fields as well as turbines, generators, transformers, and other electrical equipment.[...]
Insight: New BEA Data Uncover a Burgeoning Industry: Outdoor Recreation
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™. Feb 5, 2020 – I have long suspected—either while desperately searching for a parking spot in Big Cottonwood Canyon, waiting in long lines at REI, or watching another outdoor gear manufacturer set roots in Utah—that Utah’s outdoor recreation industry is growing. Well, now there’s proof! […]
Insight: Finally, Some Good News on Health Care Costs
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™. Jan 30, 2020 – When you hear the term “health care costs,” it is typically never associated with good news. In an earlier blog post, I noted that surprise medical bills, the rising cost of prescription drugs, and a lack of price transparency in the health care market have long frustrated the public and have[...]