Voters need nonpartisan information to make informed decisions about hotly debated issues. This Utah Foundation report adds new information to help voters decide on the 2026 constitutional amendments. It also provides key questions for each amendment. The Utah Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan, public-policy research organization. It aims to provide accurate, up-to-date, and unbiased information. The Utah Foundation does not support or oppose the proposed 2026 constitutional amendments. Read the report here.

In 2011, the Utah Foundation created a comprehensive survey to understand how Utahns feel about their quality of life. In 2026, the Utah Foundation, in partnership with the Utah Chamber and the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, administered the statewide Quality of Life Index survey for the sixth time. The survey asks respondents to rate factors that contribute to their community’s quality of life. The Utah Community Quality of Life Index draws on Utahns’ ratings … Continued

The federal government granted Trust Lands to Utah at statehood to support specific beneficiaries. This Utah Foundation report finds they also support many households, local governments, and the state. Lands, Legacy, and Livelihood: How Utah’s Trust Lands Benefit Communities includes several economic impact analyses to quantify the benefits of these lands. The Trust Lands Administration commissioned the Utah Foundation to conduct case studies on oil & gas, coal, residential real estate, commercial real estate, and innovative … Continued

The Utah State Legislature authorized a pilot program allowing municipalities to use a ranked-choice process for municipal elections. That program sunsetted as of 2026. Is ranked-choice voting in Utah dead? At least for now. Nonetheless, A Tale of Two Ballots examines ranked-choice voting by comparing it with the typical simple-plurality voting. Ranked-choice voting has strengths and weaknesses, but less evidence supports its impact on election quality. RCV strengths: It allows voters to communicate more information … Continued

Utah is expected to spend over $1.4 billion this year on incarceration, probation, and parole. Are there ways to reduce that cost? Perhaps. Reducing recidivism is an important consideration. Recidivism, the tendency for someone to re-offend and end up back in prison after release, is one of the clearest ways to measure whether the criminal legal system is meeting its goals. The Utah Foundation’s newest report examines how Utah defines and tracks recidivism, what it … Continued

Utah remains the youngest state in the nation, but that is changing fast. The share of Utahns over 65 is projected to nearly double by 2060, and communities across the state are already feeling that shift. The question facing local leaders is not whether to respond, it is whether they will be prepared when the moment arrives. A new report from the Utah Foundation takes on that question directly. Preparing for Utah’s Aging Population: Policies … Continued