Sutherland Institute
Encyclopedia
Sutherland Institute is a conservative public policy think tank located in Salt Lake City, Utah
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The institute is an independent, non-partisan organization that produces policy research, provides award-winning educational seminars, and engages in legislative advocacy. The Institute was founded in 1995 by Utah
businessman and philanthropist, Gaylord K. Swim
. Sutherland currently employs more than 20 staff members and five adjunct research fellows.
Sutherland's current president is Paul T. Mero
, who has served in this capacity since 2000.
Sutherland Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization, which is the IRS tax designation for a non-profit that is eligible for tax deductible donations. According to the Institute's website, Sutherland "do[es] not perform contract work or accept government grants."
. Swim was a noted Utah businessman and philanthropist. He served on multiple boards, including, the Covey Leadership Center (later became FranklinCovey), the State Policy Network, the Central Valley Medical Center, EFI Electronics, and was the chairman of the board for American Heritage School (Utah)
at the time of his death. Mr. Swim was also engaged in Utah politics, serving on several local and state commissions including an ad hoc committee which made recommendations against a proposed school district split in Utah County.
Mr. Swim died of a brain tumor in February 2005.
. Sutherland was the first and only Utahn to have served on the US Supreme Court. Sutherland also served as a US Senator prior to being appointed to the bench in 1922.
Sutherland has received criticism from jurists from opposite sides of constitutional interpretational philosophy.
Sutherland was one of the Four Horsemen (Supreme Court)
. Liberals of his day ridiculed him for opposing all of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal
programs as unconstitutional. Jurists such as Bork, Scalia, and Rehnquist, who ascribe to Originalism
have chastised his many Court opinions for grounding his more liberal opinions in the very same logic he used in opposing FDRs New Deal policies.
Hadley Arkes wrote a biography on Justice Sutherland titled: "The Return of George Sutherland." In his book, Hadley noted Sutherland's particular interest in what Hadley calls the "jurisprudence of natural rights."
.
In late 2005, Sutherland proposed a resolution designed for local cities to adopt stating their support of Sutherland's definition of the family as a man, woman and children, and acknowledging that the family unit is the foundation of society. Only one city, Kanab, UT, accepted and enacted the resolution, but their passage of the resolution set off a national controversy. Some, including Arthur Frommer
, called for a boycott of the city as a tourist destination.
Paul Mero
also partnered with Allan Carlson of the Howard Center, an Illinois based family advocacy group, to publish "The Natural Family: a manifesto". The book makes an argument for the "traditional" family structure. The book received both local and national exposure and was touted by conservative pundits.
In May 2008, Sutherland issued two reports on illegal immigration in Utah: Onus or Opportunity: Conservatism and Illegal Immigration in Utah. Utah's Citizens and Illegal Immigrants: Side-by-Side These reports drew both criticism as well as praise from various groups in Utah.
Bill Duncan, president of the Marriage Law Foundation, is the center's current director.
In March 2007, Utah became the first state to pass a universal school voucher law. The law was quickly challenged and overturned by referendum vote in November 2007. During the run-up to the November referendum election, Sutherland issued a publication, Voucher, Vows, & Vexations, that presented the institute's view on the history of education in Utah. The report had mixed reviews. Sutherland then released the subsequent companion article in a peer-reviewed law journal as part of an academic conference about school choice.
Acting within the framework of this center, Paul Mero
teamed up with Daniel Witte, lead attorney for Sutherland's effort, to publish a book called "Removing Classrooms from the Battlefield: Liberty, Paternalism, and the Redemptive Promise of Educational Choice", which focuses on the historical evolution of the Parental Liberty Doctrine.
Allan Carlson is currently serving as the director of the Center.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
The institute is an independent, non-partisan organization that produces policy research, provides award-winning educational seminars, and engages in legislative advocacy. The Institute was founded in 1995 by Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
businessman and philanthropist, Gaylord K. Swim
Gaylord K. Swim
Gaylord K. Swim was an American businessman. He was the founder of the Sutherland Institute and a prominent community leader.- Biography :...
. Sutherland currently employs more than 20 staff members and five adjunct research fellows.
Sutherland's current president is Paul T. Mero
Paul Mero
Paul T. Mero is President of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think-tank based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the author of several publications, speeches and books.- Background :Paul T...
, who has served in this capacity since 2000.
Sutherland Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization, which is the IRS tax designation for a non-profit that is eligible for tax deductible donations. According to the Institute's website, Sutherland "do[es] not perform contract work or accept government grants."
Founder
Sutherland was founded in 1995 by Gaylord K. SwimGaylord K. Swim
Gaylord K. Swim was an American businessman. He was the founder of the Sutherland Institute and a prominent community leader.- Biography :...
. Swim was a noted Utah businessman and philanthropist. He served on multiple boards, including, the Covey Leadership Center (later became FranklinCovey), the State Policy Network, the Central Valley Medical Center, EFI Electronics, and was the chairman of the board for American Heritage School (Utah)
American Heritage School (Utah)
American Heritage School and Family Education Center is a private elementary and secondary school located in American Fork, Utah, that enrolls approximately 600 students in grades K-12...
at the time of his death. Mr. Swim was also engaged in Utah politics, serving on several local and state commissions including an ad hoc committee which made recommendations against a proposed school district split in Utah County.
Mr. Swim died of a brain tumor in February 2005.
George Sutherland
Sutherland Institute's name is derived from George SutherlandGeorge Sutherland
Alexander George Sutherland was an English-born U.S. jurist and political figure. One of four appointments to the Supreme Court by President Warren G. Harding, he served as an Associate Justice of the U.S...
. Sutherland was the first and only Utahn to have served on the US Supreme Court. Sutherland also served as a US Senator prior to being appointed to the bench in 1922.
Sutherland has received criticism from jurists from opposite sides of constitutional interpretational philosophy.
Sutherland was one of the Four Horsemen (Supreme Court)
Four Horsemen (Supreme Court)
The "Four Horsemen" was the nickname given by the press to four conservative members of the United States Supreme Court during the 1932–1937 terms, who opposed the New Deal agenda of President Franklin Roosevelt. They were Justices Pierce Butler, James Clark McReynolds, George Sutherland,...
. Liberals of his day ridiculed him for opposing all of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
programs as unconstitutional. Jurists such as Bork, Scalia, and Rehnquist, who ascribe to Originalism
Originalism
In the context of United States constitutional interpretation, originalism is a principle of interpretation that tries to discover the original meaning or intent of the constitution. It is based on the principle that the judiciary is not supposed to create, amend or repeal laws but only to uphold...
have chastised his many Court opinions for grounding his more liberal opinions in the very same logic he used in opposing FDRs New Deal policies.
Hadley Arkes wrote a biography on Justice Sutherland titled: "The Return of George Sutherland." In his book, Hadley noted Sutherland's particular interest in what Hadley calls the "jurisprudence of natural rights."
Policy Focus
In 2008, The Sutherland Institute announced the creation of four policy centers: The Center for Family & Society, The Center for Educational Progress, The Center for Limited Government, and The Center for Community & Economy. In 2010, The institute established its fifth policy center, The Center for Responsible Citizenship.Center for Family & Society
Sutherland's Center for Family & Society has written on two controversial issues: the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman and illegal immigrationIllegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
.
In late 2005, Sutherland proposed a resolution designed for local cities to adopt stating their support of Sutherland's definition of the family as a man, woman and children, and acknowledging that the family unit is the foundation of society. Only one city, Kanab, UT, accepted and enacted the resolution, but their passage of the resolution set off a national controversy. Some, including Arthur Frommer
Arthur Frommer
Arthur Frommer is a travel writer, publisher and consumer advocate, and the founder of the Frommer's series of travel guides and Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine. He has published many books for budget-conscious travelers and has been one of America's foremost budget travel authorities...
, called for a boycott of the city as a tourist destination.
Paul Mero
Paul Mero
Paul T. Mero is President of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think-tank based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the author of several publications, speeches and books.- Background :Paul T...
also partnered with Allan Carlson of the Howard Center, an Illinois based family advocacy group, to publish "The Natural Family: a manifesto". The book makes an argument for the "traditional" family structure. The book received both local and national exposure and was touted by conservative pundits.
In May 2008, Sutherland issued two reports on illegal immigration in Utah: Onus or Opportunity: Conservatism and Illegal Immigration in Utah. Utah's Citizens and Illegal Immigrants: Side-by-Side These reports drew both criticism as well as praise from various groups in Utah.
Bill Duncan, president of the Marriage Law Foundation, is the center's current director.
Center for Educational Progress
Sutherland has advocated for greater educational freedom and less reliance on taxpayer funded schools.In March 2007, Utah became the first state to pass a universal school voucher law. The law was quickly challenged and overturned by referendum vote in November 2007. During the run-up to the November referendum election, Sutherland issued a publication, Voucher, Vows, & Vexations, that presented the institute's view on the history of education in Utah. The report had mixed reviews. Sutherland then released the subsequent companion article in a peer-reviewed law journal as part of an academic conference about school choice.
Acting within the framework of this center, Paul Mero
Paul Mero
Paul T. Mero is President of the Sutherland Institute, a conservative public policy think-tank based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the author of several publications, speeches and books.- Background :Paul T...
teamed up with Daniel Witte, lead attorney for Sutherland's effort, to publish a book called "Removing Classrooms from the Battlefield: Liberty, Paternalism, and the Redemptive Promise of Educational Choice", which focuses on the historical evolution of the Parental Liberty Doctrine.
Center for Limited Government
In February 2007, Ed Feulner announced the creation of Sutherland's Center for Limited Government. Area of focuses for the center include, transparency in government, spending limitations, and federal land use in Utah.Center for Community & Economy
The Institute's policy research on Utah's economy has focused issues such as health care and property tax reform. In 2004, the Institute first made the case for Utah adopting what Sutherland terms Charity Care, which calls for a more robust system of charity care, like that offered by groups like Unite for Sight as a method to provide care for the unisured.Allan Carlson is currently serving as the director of the Center.