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: Utah’s Expanding Medicaid Coverage
By: Laura Summers, M.P.P. One thing I’ve learned from my time working on state health care reform is that Medicaid is a very important, but very complicated program. At the most basic level, it is known for providing health care coverage to low-income children, pregnant women, parents with dependent children, seniors, and people with disabilities. It also helps pay for long-term medical care such as nursing home stays, which Medicare generally does not cover. […]
Utah’s Expanding Medicaid Coverage: Three Scenarios
After years of debating whether and how to expand Medicaid coverage to uninsured adults who do not currently qualify for the program, Utah is poised to move forward with one of three changes to its Medicaid program in 2019. This policy brief helps Utah voters, policy makers, and business and community leaders better understand and compare the proposed changes to Utah’s Medicaid program. It includes information on program elements, federal and state costs, lessons learned from other states, and policy concerns associated with each scenario. A summary of key information on the proposed changes is provided below.
The Utah Demographic and Economic Model
Models certainly do not replace thinking, but rather inform thinking. We build models to organize thought processes, understand relationships, shed light on cause and effect, and, ultimately, help people make INFORMED DECISIONS. In a high-growth state like Utah, long-term demographic and economic projection models provide vital information that helps with education, transportation, water, and other policies. They count on the development, upkeep, and operation of these models to help them make smart decisions and, ultimately, help our state prosper.
Utah Outdoor Partners Survey of Businesses, 2018
Utah is currently experiencing a period of dynamic economic growth. Executives from 50 of the fastest growing companies in Utah were interviewed to determine the influence Utah's outdoor recreational opportunities have on location decisions, employee recruitment and retention, and the overall desirability of doing business in the state.
Insight: Utah’s growth demands cooperation, not sabotage
By: Natalie Gochnour Originally published in the Deseret News The poet E. E. Cummings wrote, “More, and more, and still more … are we all morticians?” This quote reminds me of the seemingly limitless growth occurring in Utah right now. We have more people, more jobs and more opportunity. We also have more congestion, more pollution and more need for water. For growth to be good, it must be guided by great leaders who represent our shared values. We must turn the “more of anything” into “more of the right thing.” Quality growth should be our north star. […]
Gardner Industry Trends Model
The Gardner Industry Trends Model (GITM) produces statewide long-term employment projections by major industry. These employment projections serve as drivers for the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s (GPI) long-term demographic projections.
Insight: New Energies Fueled by Technology
By: Thomas Holst Salt Lake City was recently named as a “Solar Star” based on the number of megawatts of solar energy used per capita compared to 70 other U.S. cities. This honor signals a willingness amongst Salt Lake City homeowners to make a front-end investment, often in the tens of thousands of dollars, in order to gain both a better environment and achieve homeowner energy independence. […]
June 2018 Economic Summary
The Utah economy remains healthy. Every major industrial sector expanded in 2017, contributing a total of 43,500 new jobs over the year. An annual employment growth rate of 3.1% is on par with the state’s long-term average and is among the strongest in the nation. In 2017, Utah’s construction sector posted the highest job growth with 5.4%.
Insight: Utah’s GDP Growth: a story of consistent recovery
By: John Downen The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis maintains statistics on the composition and performance of the nation’s and the states’ economies. The BEA recently released 2017 numbers for gross domestic product (GDP) by state. GDP is the most common measure of an area’s economic output and measures the value of goods and services produced in a region minus the cost of the goods and services used in the production process. Looking at Utah’s growth both recently and since the end of the Great Recession gives us a good idea of the rise of some industries and the decline[...]
Insight: Time for the northern Utah economy to come alive
By: Natalie Gochnour Originally published in the Deseret News The Utah economy continues to impress. Utah job growth registers an impressive 3.5 percent, the fastest job growth in the country and nearly twice the national average of 1.6 percent. Utah’s job growth, combined with low unemployment, rising wages and net in-migration, makes for the hottest economy in the nation right now. […]