The Utah Foundation’s Social Capital Index project is a series of reports that measure whether Utah is thriving in terms of its “social capital.” Put simply, social capital refers to the ways in which individuals can leverage connections between people and social networks for the benefit of themselves or their community. This series of reports details objective measures to create an index that can help describe how social capital changes over time and varies across … Continued

Iron extraction is a core part of the history of Iron County. It now plays an important role in a diversified economy. That said, the county’s iron extraction industry has seen booms and busts, the most recent of which is in the face of new tariffs. This report highlights the historical background of iron extraction in Iron County. It places these operations within the national industry context and provides background for Utah Iron LLC’s Clean … Continued

The Utah political process includes the use of party delegates. Delegates are representatives chosen at a party caucus to represent voters. These delegates then choose party candidates at political party conventions. This report, Partisan Lines: Where Utah’s Delegates and Voters Align and Diverge, details party delegates’ survey responses to the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. By comparing responses to those of Utah voters, the reports seek to understand how voters and delegates are similar and different … Continued

Education after high school is complex, expensive, important, and sometimes controversial. It also has numerous goals that are naturally in conflict. Four of the most important are completion, quality, affordability, and access. The Utah Board of Higher Education is tasked with addressing these goals with the help of various tools highlighted in this report. These include performance funding, program reviews, budget alignment, and student support services. The right balance among quality, affordability, access, and completion … Continued

In response to continued high prices in the US healthcare system, a bipartisan effort has led to increased price transparency. For many stakeholders, the goal of this transparency is to make it easier for the average person to find healthcare prices. The Utah Foundation’s report, X-Raying Healthcare, takes a deep dive into healthcare price transparency. Report Highlights Datasets generated by federal price transparency rules have granted researchers, employers, journalists, and other observers unprecedented oversight of the … Continued

Each state has a unique college governing structure. Utah’s is perhaps one of the most unique. In 2023, the Utah Legislature introduced a new board structure to govern public post-secondary education. However, the subsequent replacement of the existing board and the Commissioner’s resignation led to a swift change – and perhaps an opportunity. In addition, post-secondary education may be at a crossroads. Enrollment is expected to stagnate and even decrease in the coming years while … Continued