Recent Research
Recently Published
The most recent research published by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
Utah’s School- and College-Age Populations: 2021 Long-Term Planning Projection Update
The age detail provided in the long-term planning projections published by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute illustrates how changes in age structure and declines in births impact the school (5-to-17-year-old) and college (18-to-24-year-old) age populations throughout the state over the next four decades.
December 2022 Newsmaker Breakfast: Property Tax Insights Presentation
The property tax is Utah’s most stable tax. This stability comes from both the less volatile nature of property and the design of Utah’s property tax system
Property Tax Insights
The property tax is Utah’s most stable tax. This stability comes from both the less volatile nature of property and the design of Utah’s property tax system.
A Cloudy Crystal Ball: Pandemic Forecasting Challenges Highlight Need for Budget Relief Valves
STATE BUDGET OFFICIALS HAVE RUN a gauntlet of challenges since COVID-19 descended upon the US in January 2020. The nation’s economy whipsawed through the pandemic—from growth to contraction to recovery to overheating—as the federal government’s crisis response encourage shutdowns and unleashed trillions of dollars of stimulus money.
State and County Population Estimates for Utah: 2022
July 1, 2022 estimates produced by the Utah Population Committee indicate a total population of 3,404,760, adding 61,242 residents to the state since July 1, 2021. The midyear reference date of these estimates reflects the economy opening up and thriving with the unwinding of the pandemic, leading up to a turning point in the economic picture, resulting in a different growth trajectory in the latter half of 2022.
December 2022 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment increased from 64.1 in November to 68.7 in December, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumers. A similar survey by the University of Michigan also found sentiment rose from November (56.8) to December (59.7) among Americans as a whole.
Gardner Business Review: U.S. and Utah Debt Policy: A Study in Contrasts
The state of Utah’s bonding practices vary dramatically from that of the federal government. Instead of borrowing for ongoing programs as the federal government does, Utah wisely borrows for needed capital projects such as highways and buildings.
November 2022 Utah Consumer Sentiment
Utah’s consumer sentiment fell from 66.0 in October to 64.1 in November, according to the Kem C. Gardner Institute’s Survey of Utah Consumers. A similar survey by the University of Michigan also found sentiment decreased from October (59.9) to November (56.8) among Americans as a whole.