Opinion: Exclusivity will not fix the Utah GOP’s caucus-convention system

May 17, 2025 (Deseret News) - …The Utah Foundation recently published a survey showing that while there are more women voters in our state than men, women make up only 37% of Republican delegates. Because one must attend their biannual caucus meeting in person on a Tuesday in March to become a delegate, voters with young children, disabilities or who work during evening hours are vastly underrepresented in the pool of delegates…

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Report finds gaps between Utah voters and party delegates

May 15, 2025 (Axios) - A new report reveals ideological divides and priority gaps between Utah’s party delegates and the voters they aim to represent. State of play: Republican and Democratic delegates appeared more pessimistic than voters about the state’s trajectory, according to the report by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan policy research organization. By the numbers: 84% of Democratic and 55% of Republican delegates said the state is heading in the wrong direction, compared with Democratic (79%) and Republican … Continued

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Utah GOP will consider kicking signature-gathering candidates out of the party

May 15, 2025 (KSL.com) - …Candidates chosen by the delegates have historically underperformed in Republican primary elections — gubernatorial candidate Phil Lyman and Senate candidate Trent Staggs are recent examples who lost their primary after winning at convention — and a new survey released by the Utah Foundation Wednesday found that the median Republican delegate is more conservative than the median GOP voter. “In terms of issue priorities, Republican delegates place less importance on a few items like housing, roads … Continued

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Midday with Maria Shilaos

May 15, 2025 (KSL News Radio) - Utah Foundation president Shawn Teigen spoke with Maria Shilaos about where delegates and voters align and diverge.

Are delegates in touch with Utah voters? Survey reveals where they ‘align and diverge’

May 15, 2025 (Utah News Dispatch) - A report by the Utah Foundation found that even though party delegates tend to be more pessimistic than their voter counterparts, in general “their ideological positions show notable alignment with voters.” (Illustration by Alex Cochran for Utah News Dispatch) A new report released days before Utah Republican Party delegates will gather to select their new chair offers some insights about where Utah’s delegates “align and diverge” with other voters in their own parties. The report published by the Utah Foundation — … Continued

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This weekend’s Utah GOP convention faces a big question: Who decides which Republicans go on the ballot?

May 15, 2025 (Salt Lake Tribune) - …Generally, Republican delegates tend to lean much further to the right than the rest of Utah’s GOP electorate — a possible advantage for Lyman. A poll published this week by the Utah Foundation found that “all delegates, regardless of party, are more likely than voters to be men, actively religious, older, and white, and have more education and higher incomes.” GOP delegates surveyed were more likely than Republican voters to be focused on tax cuts. … Continued

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Are delegates in touch with Utah voters? Survey reveals where they ‘align and diverge’

May 15, 2025 (Yahoo) - A report by the Utah Foundation found that even though party delegates tend to be more pessimistic than their voter counterparts, in general “their ideological positions show notable alignment with voters.” (Illustration by Alex Cochran for Utah News Dispatch) A new report released days before Utah Republican Party delegates will gather to select their new chair offers some insights about where Utah’s delegates “align and diverge” with other voters in their own parties. The report … Continued

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‘Initiatives Initiative’ group to seek help from Utah Supreme Court

May 05, 2025 (Fox 13) - Fed up with the difficulty of running a citizen ballot initiative, a group of people are asking the Utah Supreme Court to directly intervene. Calling themselves the “Citizen’s Initiative Reform Committee,” they intend to file a writ of extraordinary relief on Tuesday with the state’s top court asking to reinstate some rejected provisions of their proposed initiative and send a message to Utah’s Capitol Hill. “We’re so fed up with the way we’ve been treated … Continued

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Why Utah’s governor says America needs a ‘religious revival’

May 01, 2025 (Deseret News) - Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Americans must look beyond politics for the solution to the country’s problems. “We do need, I believe, a religious revival,” Cox told the Deseret News. Cox spoke Thursday at the annual luncheon of the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank. The subject of his remarks was social capital, an academic term used to describe the connections that create high-trust communities. Multiple surveys have identified Utah as having the highest level … Continued

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Why Utah’s governor says America needs a ‘religious revival’

May 01, 2025 (Yahoo) - Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Americans must look beyond politics for the solution to the country’s problems. “We do need, I believe, a religious revival,” Cox told the Deseret News. Cox spoke Thursday at the annual luncheon of the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank. The subject of his remarks was social capital, an academic term used to describe the connections that create high-trust communities. Multiple surveys have identified Utah as having the highest level … Continued

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What Utah lawmakers did — and didn’t — do for housing in 2025

April 07, 2025 (Utah News Dispatch) - …For a session underscored by a theme of control — of legislators exerting their power in a variety of policy areas, housing was not one of them. That’s even though housing affordability has ranked as a top concern among Utah voters, according to a report last year by the nonprofit Utah Foundation…

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Health care costs more transparent, but data isn’t reaching Utah consumers, report says

April 16, 2025 (KSL.com) - Health care prices are at an all-time high, according to Joshua Wright at the Utah Foundation, and what makes that hit even harder is health care consumers don’t know what price they are going to pay until well after a procedure. He said transparency efforts are not relieving the pain consumers feel as they open their medical bills. Patients are entitled to pricing estimates on nonemergency services following the No Surprises Act, which became effective … Continued

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Uncovering healthcare prices

April 16, 2025 (Utah Policy) - 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…

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Salt Lake City ranks top metro for families; expert weighs in on why

March 23, 2025 (KSL.com) - …Utah consistently retains a lower unemployment rate than the national average. According to data from the Utah Foundation, the state consistently ranks higher than the national average for post-high school educational attainment. While these metrics may be more important for some, Das argues there are other factors families may consider when moving that aren’t considered in some of these rankings…

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Utah grapples with growing housing shortage as demand outpaces supply

March 07, 2025 (KSL.com) - …A 2024 survey conducted by the Utah Foundation found that fewer than 12% of homes sold in the state in 2022 were affordable for individuals earning the median income. This affordability gap disproportionately affects younger generations seniors, and essential workers like teachers and first responders (Utah Association of Realtors and Utah Foundation)…

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College governance more important now than ever

March 05, 2025 (Utah Policy) - 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 the face of coming enrollment and funding decreases. The Utah Foundation’s newest report, A Primer on Utah’s Post-Secondary Education Governance System, … Continued

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Cost of living, political dysfunction top concerns for Utahns

February 03, 2025 (Public News Service) -   The Utah Legislature has been in session for almost two weeks and one nonprofit research organization contended in order for state lawmakers to be effective and responsive to the needs of Utahns, they need to address two key topics: cost of living and political dysfunction. Shawn Teigen, president of the Utah Foundation, said through its Utah Priorities Project conducted last year, it found Utahns are concerned about being able to afford housing and other … Continued

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Opinion: Legislators must consider cost of living and political dysfunction

January 19, 2025 (Deseret News) - The Utah Legislature will likely spend much time over the next couple of months talking about K-12 and post-secondary education, energy, immigration, taxes and elections. But what should they consider if they want to be responsive to what matters most to Utahns? The answer: cost of living and political dysfunction. Cost of living: Housing With respect to the cost of living, voters were concerned about housing costs and all other household expenses following periods of … Continued

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Video: More people are renting their homes than buying in Utah and nationwide

December 04, 2024 (KSL TV5) - Today could be considered a renter’s market. In both the United States and Utah, more people are renting their homes than buying them. There are two reasons that more are renting, said Utah Foundation President Shawn Teigen: the cost of homes and the cost of borrowing money. Teigen said Americans and Utahns have rediscovered their patience.

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More people are renting their homes than buying in Utah and nationwide

December 03, 2024 (KSL News Radio) - SALT LAKE CITY — Today could be considered a renter’s market. In both the United States and Utah, more people are renting their homes than buying them. There are two reasons that more are renting, said Utah Foundation President Shawn Teigen: the cost of homes and the cost of borrowing money. Teigen said Americans and Utahns have rediscovered their patience. “People are, perhaps, a little bit willing to stand by a little bit and wait … Continued

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“Middle Housing”: The Answer to Utah’s Housing Crisis?

November 12, 2024 (UVU Review) - Utah Valley University consistently boasts that it develops Utah’s growing workforce, but what opportunities exist for its students after graduation? While Utah has high home-ownership rates, younger individuals consistently face challenges finding affordable housing. In 2022, only 12% of homes sold in Utah would be affordable to people earning the median income (Perpetual Housing Fund). “Middle-line housing”, proposed at UVU’s fourth annual Growth and Prosperity Summit, could address this issue. On Nov. 7, 2024, the … Continued

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Will John Curtis’ climate ideas take a back seat to Trump, Senate GOP priorities?

November 11, 2024 (KUER) - U.S. Rep. John Curtis speaks to supporters during a election night party Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Provo, Utah. Utah’s new U.S. Senator is a rare Republican who is outspoken on climate change. Despite a policy stance that does not fit into stereotypical Republican orthodoxy, Rep. John Curtis cruised to victory in this summer’s GOP primary and followed that up with a resounding win on Election Day. But will his moderate policies get lost with a slim GOP majority and … Continued

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