Top Priority | Ideas for Human Flourishing: Recent Episodes

Grassroots Leadership Academy

We have a deep belief in people and promote ideas of human flourishing.

Top Priority is a collection of interactive, learning-oriented conversations on how the Stand Together Community engages with and advocates for solutions through the lens of our Community Vision: We transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

The Stand Together Community Vision is guided by four, mutually reinforcing principles: Equal Rights | Mutual Benefit | Openness | Self-Actualization

Explore the free and civil society through the lens of each of these four mutually reinforcing principles and stand together to help every person rise.

Top Priority is a production of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation's Grassroots Leadership Academy, where we make Human Flourishing a top priority.

Show: 045 Top Priority Podcast | Book: Get Out of Control

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Neil Chilson, Senior Research Fellow, Technology and Innovation at Stand Together

Neil Chilson, the senior research fellow for technology and innovation at Stand Together, launched his book, Getting Out of Control: Emergent Leadership in a Complex World, on September 23rd. A frequent guest on Top Priority, he joins us again to discuss his book.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

Show: 044 Top Priority Podcast | AFPF v. Bonta

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Casey Mattox, Vice President, Legal and Judicial Strategy at Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Senior Fellow, Free Speech and Peace at Charles Koch Institute

Today’s top priority is free expression. Specifically, the Supreme Court case AFPF vs. Bonta. Our guest today is Casey Mattox. He’s the Vice President, Legal and Judicial Strategy at Americans for Prosperity Senior Fellow, Free Speech and Peace at Charles Koch Institute.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

Show: 043 Top Priority Podcast | Protests and Riots

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: David Voorman, Senior Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Today’s top priority is free expression. Specifically, we’re talking about the difference between protests and riots, and some troubling legislation being proposed that can impact your free speech rights. Our guest today is David Voorman. He’s a senior policy analyst with Americans for Prosperity Foundation.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

Show: 042 Top Priority | Housing Regulations with Jason Sorens

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Jason Sorens, Director for the Center for Ethics in Society

Today’s top priority is Economic Opportunity, specifically housing regulations. Our guest today is Jason Sorens. He’s the Director for the Center for Ethics in Society from Saint Anslem College.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

Show: 041 Top Priority | Drug Policy in a Society of Mutual Benefit

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Brianna Nuhfer, Director of Criminal Justice at Stand Together, Jeremiah Mosteller, Senior Policy Analyst at Americans for Prosperity Foundation

What should we do about the use of drugs in a free society? If we apply the principles of equal rights, mutual benefit, openness, and self-actualization, what does the policy look like? That's what we discuss in this episode.

See also: Billionaire Charles Koch On Why Cannabis Should Be Legal

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

In this Top Priority, we explore the topic of second chance hiring, meaning the hiring of ex-cons. Jeremiah Mosteller joins the podcast again and explains why hiring ex-cons has benefits not just for the employee, but for the employer and society as a whole.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

It's possible you've never heard of a Certificate of Need. It's a policy so awful, even the Federal Government repealed it. Yet many states still enforce it and the negative consequences of it impact access to quality health care across America. In this episode, Charlie Katabi, Health Policy Analyst with Americans for Prosperity, and Jason Edson, trainer with the Americans for Prosperity Education and Training Department and paramedic, explain the damaging effects Certificates of Need policies have on Americans.

Show: 034 Top Priority | Understanding Stakeholder Capitalism

Date Recorded: March 10, 2021

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Bill Easley, Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Neil Chilson, Charles Koch Institute

Today’s top priority is technology and innovation. Specifically, we’re going to be talking about government surveillance. This podcast was recorded on March 10th, 2021. Joining me to discuss this subject is Neil Chilson of the Charles Koch Institute and Billy Easley from Americans for Prosperity Foundations Policy Department.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

Melony Armstrong just wanted to braid hair. The state of Mississippi tried to stop her.

This is her story of fighting one barrier after another for more than ten years.

Stand Together Community Vision

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

The Americans for Prosperity team in New Hampshire worked to decriminalize marijuana in the Granite State. How did the Stand Together Vision guide them to that action? How does decriminalization break barriers?

Deputy State Director Ross Connelly explains what happened and the principles that guided their actions.

Show: 035 Top Priority Podcast | No-Knock Raids

Date Recorded: January 14, 2021

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Guests: Jeremiah Mosteller, Senior Policy Analyst of Criminal Justice Reform, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

What exactly is a no-knock raid? min [5:01]
What does the Constitution require for a warrant? min [5:20]
What three instances can be used to justify a no-knock warrant or no-knock raid? min [6:29]
How often are no-knock raids done and the most common situation they are used? min [8:30]
If you're concerned about a violent response, why do a violent entry? Couldn't you avoid violence by apprehending the suspect using alternative tactics? min [11:51]
How has the use of SWAT changed since it was created? min [13:35]
Why worry about suspects destroying evidence if the evidence is drugs? Isn't that still a win? min [15:20]
What has happened in communities or states that banned the use of no-knock raids? min [16:33]
How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [20:19]
How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [23:17]
How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [25:27]
How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [27:21]

Guest Bio:

Jeremiah Mosteller serves as the senior policy analyst for criminal justice at Americans for Prosperity, where he works alongside our millions of activists and a diverse coalition partners to advance criminal justice reform in 38 states and Congress. Before joining AFP, Jeremiah served on the criminal justice teams at the Due Process Institute, the Charles Koch Institute, and Prison Fellowship. Over his many years in this policy space, he has sought to make the criminal justice system more restorative, effective, and constructive while also upholding the rule of law and proper due process protections. Jeremiah is a graduate of Liberty University School of Law, where he also earned his Master’s in Business Administration. He received his B.S. from Western Carolina University.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.
Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.
Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment. As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.

Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website

Show: 034 Top Priority | Understanding Stakeholder Capitalism

Date Recorded: January 21, 2021

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Russell Greene, Associate Director, Institution of Business at Stand Together

Show: 033 Top Priority Podcast | "Reclaiming the American Dream" with Evan Feinberg

Date Recorded: February 18, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Evan Feinberg, Executive Director at Stand Together Foundation

Additional Links:

Reclaiming the American Dream

Reclaiming the American Dream: The Role of Private Individuals and Voluntary Associations (Philanthropy & Society)

Show: 032 Top Priority Podcast | Does "Big Tech" Need Its Own Regulator

Date Recorded: February 4, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Neil Chilson, Senior Research Fellow for technology and innovation at the Charles Koch Institute

Additional Links:

Does Big Tech Need Its Own Regulator?

Guest Bio:

Neil Chilson is a senior research fellow for technology and innovation at the Charles Koch Institute where he spearheads the Institute’s efforts to foster an environment that encourages innovation and the individual and societal progress it makes possible.

Prior to joining CKI, Chilson was the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) chief technologist. In this capacity, he focused on understanding the economics of privacy, convening a workshop on informational injury, and establishing the FTC’s Blockchain Working Group, among other things. Prior to his appointment, Chilson was an adviser to then-Acting FTC Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen. In both roles he advised Chairman Ohlhausen and worked with commission staff on nearly every major technology-related case, report, workshop, and proceeding. Chilson practiced telecommunications law at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP before joining the FTC in January 2014.

Chilson is a regular contributor to multiple news outlets, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Seattle Times, and Morning Consult.

Chilson holds a law degree from the George Washington University Law School and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Harding University.

Show: 031 Top Priority Podcast | How Altering Section 230 Threatens the Free Speech of Marginalized Communities

Date Recorded: November 13, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Billy Easley, Sr. Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Additional Resources

Slate | Revising the Law That Lets Platforms Moderate Content Will Silence Marginalized Voices
Ep 005 Top Priority | Section 230 of Communications Decency Act
The Stand Together Community

Our Vision

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that

prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

Equal Rights

A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.

Mutual Benefit

When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.

Openness

Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources, and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.

Self-Actualization

For such a society to exist, its key institutions— education, communities, business, government— remove rather than erect barriers to people

realizing their potential and finding fulfillment.

As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes. To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds.

We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals. Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency. We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning, and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

In this podcast, we talk about the role regulations have in keeping people safe and rigging the game. We talk with Clint Woods, recovering regulator and Policy Fellow with Americans for Prosperity Foundation, and Erica Jedynak, Director of Economic Opportunity for Stand Together.

In this installment, we talk about the importance of free expression and how it relates to our vision of a society of mutual benefit. Our guest, Sarah Ruger, leads the Free Expression Priority Initiative for the Stand Together Community.

Show: 028 Top Priority Podcast | Just in Time Facebook, Twitter, and THAT Hunter Biden Story

Date Recorded: October 21, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Jesse Blumenthal, VP of Tech & Innovation, Stand Together

The New York Post released an investigative report on the corruption of Hunter Biden and Big Tech responded. min [1:30]
The Stand Together Principles for Continued Tech Leadership: Possible under US laws and Based in American Values min [17:28]
Tech Giants need to shape up on data and speech

Additional Resources

7 Principles for Reforming Section 230 (and none include policing internet speech)
What 20 Years of Internet Law Teaches Us about Innovation Policyby Adam Thierer
Ep 005 Top Priority | Just in Time Section 230 of Communications Decency Act

Show: 027 Top Priority Podcast | Talking Civil Asset Forfeiture with Captain Leigh Mattox

Date Recorded: October 12, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Captain Leigh Mattox

Captain Leigh Mattox explains the two types of asset forfeiture, including civil asset forfeiture min [7:44]

Additional Resources

Ep 026 Top Priority | Civil Asset Forfeiture and Criminal Justice Reform
Dick Carpenter of Institute for Justice | TEDx Talk on Civil Asset Forfeiture
The Supreme Court Strikes a Blow Issues Unanimous Ruling in Favor of 8th Amendment Rights
Remove bad incentives such as civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity
Ep 002 Top Priority | Overcriminalization & Criminal Justice Reform
The Stand Together Community

Show: 026 Top Priority Podcast | Civil Assest Forfeiture & Criminal Justice Reform

Date Recorded: October 5, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Vikrant Reddy, Senior Fellow, Charles Koch Institute

Greg Glod, Criminal Justice Reform Fellow, Americans for Prosperity

Tyler Koteskey, Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity

What is Civil Asset Forfeiture? min [2:08]
Where did Civil Asset Forfeiture originate? min [4:58]
United States v. One Solid Gold Object in the Form of a Rooser. min [21:35]
What does a reform plan look like? min [31:37]
Tims v. Indiana | Supreme Court Ruling in favor of 8th Amendment Rights. min [37:02]

Additional Resources

Dick Carpenter of Institute for Justice | TEDx Talk on Civil Asset Forfeiture
The Supreme Court Strikes a Blow Issues Unanimous Ruling in Favor of 8th Amendment Rights
Remove bad incentives such as civil asset forfeiture and qualified immunity
Ep 002 Top Priority | Overcriminalization & Criminal Justice Reform
The Stand Together Community

In this episode, Evan Feinberg, Executive Director at the Stand Together Foundation, and the Reverend Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. discuss the issue of poverty.

Show: 024 Top Priority Podcast | Anti-SLAPP Laws in Tech and Innovation

Date Recorded: September 21, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Billy Easley, Senior Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

The Stand Together Community VISION for digital free speech. min [2:08]
Anti-SLAPP = strategic lawsuit against public participation. min [3:39]
"Lawfare” as a way to silence to people with whom you disagree. min [6:05]
How does SLAPP manifest itself in society? min [7:44]

Additional Resources

Anti-SLAPP Laws Protect Your Right to Speak Out by Billy Easley
Can you be sued for your retweets?by Billy Easley
Ep 010 Top Priority | Tech and Innovation Priority Initiative
Ep 022 Top Priority | Technophobia
Our privacy is on the clock by Billy Easley
The Stand Together Community

Show: 023 Top Priority Podcast | Mark Holden on Criminal Justice Reform

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guest: Mark Holden, Senior Vice President, Stand Together and Board member of Americans for Prosperity

Why does Mark Holden care about Criminal Justice Reform? min [6:20]
Mark Starts his career as a prison guard and now finds himself advocating for CJR with Snoop Dog | Koch Industries’ Prison Reform Warrior min [17:01]

. . . solutions are possible if – together – we embrace the wisdom of Frederick Douglass, which for years has guided our organization’s efforts in public policy: “I would unite with anybody to do right, and with nobody to do wrong. min [21:21] * How serious are the unintended consequences of Overcriminalization? min [30:14] * Mark’s good friend Alice Marie Johnson min [36:11]

Additional Resources

Families Against Mandatory Minimums – FAMM
Reason Foundation
Mark Holden issues a celebratory statement on the first anniversary of the First Step Act
Adversaries, Mark Holden and Van Jones, unite to achieve historic criminal justice reform
Ep 002 Top Priority | Overcriminalization & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 003 Top Priority | Policing & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 004 Top Priority | Qualified Immunity & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 006 Top Priority | The Trial Process & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 009 Top Priority | The Sentencing Process & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 011 Top Priority | The Prison and Reentry Process & Criminal Justice Reform
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemptionby Bryan Stevenson
Three Felonies A Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent by Harvey Silverglate
How to Become a Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offenderby Mike Chase
Radly Balko’s WaPo piece
Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forcesby Radley Balko

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces

How to Become a Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offender

Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent (Encounter Broadsides)

Show: 022 Top Priority Podcast | Technophobia

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Taylor Barkley, Program Officer of Technology & Innovation, Stand Together

The Stand Together vision for Technology & Innovation recognizes: min [6:12]
Technology and innovation have been a force for good throughout human history.
For the benefits to humanity to continue we need a policy and cultural framework friendly to innovation.
How do we apply the Stand Together Community VISION—to break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential—to Tech & Innovation? min [22:24]

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. * How our Community views Technophobia through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [28:10] * How our Community views Technophobia through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [32:20] * How our Community views Technophobia through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [45:12] * How our Community views Technophobia through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [48:25]

Additional Resources

Ep 010 Top Priority | Tech and Innovation
Arthur Diamond on Openness to Creative Destruction on EconTalk with Russ Roberts
Openness to Creative Destruction: Sustaining Innovative Dynamism by Arthur Diamond
Pessimists Archive
Like It or Not, Automation is Comingby Erica Jedynak & Taylor Barkley
Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Changing Feelings about Technology from the Telegraph to Twitterby Luke Fernandez
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Lifeby Nir Eyal
Diving into The Shallowsby Taylor Barkley
THE upload | A tech, policy, and culture blog from the Stand Together community
The Stand Together Community

Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Changing Feelings about Technology, from the Telegraph to Twitter

Openness to Creative Destruction: Sustaining Innovative Dynamism

Show: 021 Top Priority Podcast | Foundational Education
Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy
Guests: Meredith Olson, Vice President of Foundational Education, Stand Together Community

What is Foundational Education? min [5:30]
The difference between education and schooling. min [9:27]
What does good like in Foundational Education? min [14:02]
How do we apply the Stand Together Community VISION—to break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential—Foundational Education? [min 21:00]
How our Community views Foundational Education through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [22:33]
How our Community views Foundational Education through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [25:25]
How our Community views Foundational Education through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [34:08]
How our Community views Foundational Education through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [37:24]
The 8 questions Stand Together asks when evaluating educational policy min [40:12]

Does the existing or proposed education policy:

Allow for a diversity of solutions?
Let families choose what works best?
Allow students to customize their education?
Ensure funding follows the student?
Encourage innovation and experimentation?
Build community support?
Rely on the belief that every kid is capable?
Apply to every student equally?

*Additional Resources*

Bill of Rights Institute
Youth Entrepreneurs
Yes. Every Kid.
Kids can #LearnEverywhere!
Meredith Olson: Unleashing the Unique Potential in Every Kid
New partnership helps keep students engaged in summer learning
Ep 020 Top Priority | Post-Secondary Education
The Stand Together Community

Show: 020 Top Priority Podcast | Post-Secondary Education

Date Recorded: March 24, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Ryan Stowers, Executive Director, Charles Koch Foundation

Show Notes & Timestamps

What is the Stand Together Community doing in the realm of Post-Secondary Education? min [4:04]

A culture of education that unleashes human flourishing must:

(1) Help people discover who they are as unique individuals—what are their strengths, weaknesses, gifting, and aptitudes

(2) Encourage people to develop skills and gain knowledge unique to them as individuals

(3) Allow individuals to apply the skills in a way that contributes to others around them in order to progress toward Self-Actualization

The STC long-term vision is to create a culture around education where individuals have a dynamic landscape of educational opportunities and a way to create an individualized pathway to learning that is suited and customized to each unique individual. min [7:45]
What are alternative forms of credentialing? min [9:45]
How our Community views Post-Secondary Education through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [19:05]
How our Community views Post-Secondary Education through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [21:15]
How our Community views Post-Secondary Education through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [26:30]

It is important to embrace and celebrate individual growth that is fostered through disagreement. Growth is at a disadvantage when we disavow Openness.

How our Community views Post-Secondary Education through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [32:45]

*Additional Resource*

Letter from Ryan Stowers: In the face of crisis, CKF partners and grantees provide innovative solutions
Mike Rowe Works Foundation
Top Craft Development in Wellington, Colo

Show: 019 Top Priority Podcast | Free Trade and the World Trade Organization

Date Recorded: January 28, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Dan Pearson, Trade Policy Fellow, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

What is the history of the World Trade Organization (WTO)? min [1:00]
What was the world like before the WTO? What is mercantilism? min [5:22]
Adam Smith pushed back again Mercantilism with his book The Wealth of Nations. min [6:41]
The Wealth of Nations can be summarized into three main themes:
Trade, when voluntarily initiated, benefits both parties, not just the exporter.
Specialization allows for economies of scale and promotes economic growth.
Collusion between government and business is harmful to the general population.
Did the American Founders favor protectionist tariffs? min [11:05]
The two functions of the WTO: min [30:05]
Negotiations
Dispute settlements

Additional Resource

FREE copy of The Law by Frederic Bastiat
Clashing Over Commerce by Doug Irwin
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation by David Ricardo

Clashing over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy (Markets and Governments in Economic History)

Show: 018 Top Priority Podcast | Free Trade Priority Initiative
Date Recorded: November 26, 2019
Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy
Guests: Dan Pearson, Trade Policy Fellow, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

Why is the Stand Together Community involved in the issue of Free Trade? min [4:26]

Whenever a country restricts its imports, it reduces the freedoms of its own citizens to do business with whomever they want. —Dan Pearson

Why is Free Trade part of the Stand Together Openness portfolio? min [8:55] • What happens to a society when it is closed off to others? min [11:18]
What does the Stand Together Community stand for when it comes to Trade? min [13:21]
Self-sufficiency is the road to poverty and trade is the road to prosperity. —Russ Roberts— min [19:23]

Treasure Island: The Power of Trade. Part I. The Seemingly Simple Story of Comparative Advantage
Treasure Island: The Power of Trade. Part II. How Trade Transforms Our Standard of Living

If America opens our market to the world—without tariffs, quotas, or barriers—how does that help Americans? min [23:29]
What is the China shock? min [35:10]
What is the reality of Americas exporting power? America is the world’s largest trading company in terms of the value of imports plus exports. min [39:45]
What is meant by a trade deficit and is it a meaningful measurement? min [41:05]
Individuals and businesses—not bureaucrats and politicians—should guide trade decisions. min [48:12]

Letting capitalism work has been the route to prosperity for all of mankind. —Dan Pearson—

Punitive measures, such as tariffs and quotas, are an unjust government intrusion into the lives of hardworking Americans; they violate the property and associational rights of individuals and should all be eliminated. min [51:15]
Subsidies and other forms of government support for powerful and politically connected businesses and individuals do not create value; they punish consumers, burden taxpayers, isolate businesses from market competition and should be eliminated. min [53:20]
Trade disputes should be solved through existing international trade organizations and agreements. min [58:19]
How our Community views Free Trade through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [1:18:09]
Do the laws of economics work for the entire world or just the United States? min [1:18:37]

Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. —Milton Friedman—

*Additional Resource*

It’s a Wonderful Loaf | A poetic lesson on the wonders of Free Trade
I, Pencil: The Movie
$1,500 Sandwich Illustrates How Exchange Raises Living Standards by Chelsea Follett
Free Trade Under Fire by Douglas Irwin

Free Trade under Fire: Fourth Edition

Show: 017 Top Priority Podcast | Cronyism

Date Recorded: January 16, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Michael Lambert, Policy Analyst of Corporate Welfare, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

What is Cronyism? In short, Cronyism is government picking winners and losers. min [2:14]
Cronyism, as our Community understands it, includes three subsets: min [3:45]
Financial handouts to include: subsidies, tax incentives, loan guarantees, and bailouts
Regulatory preference to include: monopolies, government mandates,
Protectionism to include: tariffs and quotas
Through the lens of our Vision, we exist to break barriers, what barriers are created by financial handouts? min [5:05]
In The Law Frederic Bastiat discusses the seen versus the unseen; what are the unseen costs of government financial handouts to companies like Amazon? min [6:41]
How do financial handouts for sports stadiums hurt people in communities? min [10:33]
What is the STC perspective on tax credits? min [12:45]
How does regulatory preference kill innovation and hurt people? min [14:24]
Is Cronyism a set of barriers disguised as opportunities? min [23:17]
Government favoritism is a corrupting force because it erodes the belief in voluntary exchange and distorts the power free people in free markets. min [26:17]
How our Community views Cronyism through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [28:56]
How does Cronyism discourage innovation and competition? min [30:36]
Because of the explosion of innovation, farmers in New Zealand now argue against farm subsidies! min [32:53]
How our Community views Cronyism through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [33:37]
How our Community views Cronyism through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [37:20]
How our Community views Cronyism through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [38:48]

*Additional Resource*

FREE copy of The Law by Frederic Bastiat
FREE copy of Animal Farm by George Orwell: “Some animals are more equal than others.”
We reject the false choice of being pro-business or anti-business, “Instead [we] oppose when business lobbies government for special favors and rigs the system to protect their profits. This wastes resources, disrespects customers, and is unfair to taxpayers. At the same time, we celebrate principled entrepreneurship that creates real value for people, long term. That’s what we’re after” —Charles Koch—

Show: 016 Top Priority Podcast | Occupational Licensing

Date Recorded: December 16, 2019

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Erica Jedynak, Director of Employment Initiatives, Stand Together

Austen Bannan Senior Policy Analyst of Employment Policy, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

What is Occupational Licensing and why is it an issue on which our Stand Together Community engages? min [4:15]
How some occupational licenses actually prop-up special interests and create a two-tired society. min [9:08]
How our Community views Occupational Licensing through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [17:20]
What are viable alternatives to Occupational Licenses to keep people safe? min [23:25]
How our Community views Occupational Licensing through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [29:20]
How Occupational Licensing props up cronyism and what is cronyism? min [41:47]
How our Community views Occupational Licensing through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [42:27]
Certificate of Need keeping people from accessing quality, affordable health care. min [48:08]
How Government uses Occupational Licensing against people—including doing math without a license. min [49:50]
How our Community views Occupational Licensing through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [53:20]

*Additional Resource*

Reclaiming the American Dream: The Role of Private Individuals and Voluntary Associations by Richard Cornuelle
“There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.” —Thomas Sowell, A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
District Works is a coalition of small business owners, nonprofits, and community members striving to make it cheaper, faster, and simpler to start a business in D.C.

Reclaiming the American Dream: The Role of Private Individuals and Voluntary Associations (Philanthropy & Society)

Show: 015 Top Priority Podcast | Right to Work & Economic Opportunity Priority Initiative

Date Recorded: January 29, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Erica Jedynak, Director of Employment Initiatives, Stand Together

Austen Bannan, Senior Policy Analyst of Employment Policy, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

What does Right to Work mean? min [1:24]
Which states are Right to Work States? min [1:50]
Is someone forced to join a union if they don’t live in a Right to Work state? min [4:22]
What is our Stand Together community position on Right to Work? min [7:49]
What is our Community’s principled response to the “free rider” argument? min [8:28]
Is there a libertarian case against Right to Work? min [11:17]
How our Community views Right to Work through the lens of our Vision—to break barriers. min [14:50]
How our Community views Right to Work through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [21:12]

The violation of Equal Rights is Unions somehow get a “super status” making them more important than others under the law.

How our Community views Right to Work through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [22:34]

For win-win to be possible, all parties have to voluntarily enter into the relationship.

What about the people who say Right to Work is just about union busting? min[24:48]
How our Community views Right to Work through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [28:52]
How does Right to Work impact innovation in the workplace? min [31:09]
How our Community views Right to Work through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [31:55]
Looking into the future, what could be the role of unions? min [38:25]

Show: 014 Top Priority Podcast | JUST IN TIME Telemedicine and COVID-19
Date Recorded: March 25, 2020
Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy
Guests: Charlie Katebi, Healthcare Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity
Tom Romeo, Program Officer of Technology & Innovation, Stand Together

• What is the impact of telemedicine in combating the pandemic of COVID-19? min [2:05]

The biggest barriers to access of care are in Medicare and Medicaid: If you live outside of a major metropolitan area, that the government deems “not a shortage area” you do not have access to telemedicine because of government regulations and prohibitions.

In a pandemic social distancing is imperative for the health of patients and providers alike, lifting these barriers allows for ill people to consult with a healthcare practitioner while keeping everyone safe.

• What is meant by the term “telemedicine”? min [6:05]
1. A video conferencing consultation between patient and care provider
2. Using outpatient devices to allow a doctor to monitor patient health progress in real time
3. Allowing a general practitioner to share patient conditions with a specialist in real time

• In this pandemic, we are finally seeing the lifting of prohibitions so policy can catch up to the technology. min [11:09]
• How are we tracking the results of a societal Openness when it comes to lifting prohibitions on healthcare technology? min [13:35]
• What are the opportunity costs of these barriers in our healthcare system? min [21:57]

*Additional Resource*
• The latest work from Mercatus Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the novel coronavirus causing it.
• Increasing Access to Care in the State by Mercatus Center

Show: 013 Top Priority Podcast | Healthcare Priority Initiative

Date Recorded: December 17, 2019

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Charlie Katebi, Health Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity

Elliott Fox, Director of Healthcare Initiatives, Stand Together

Show Notes & Timestamps

What is our Stand Together Community doing in the Healthcare space? min [3:45]
What external barriers keep people from accessing quality, affordable Health Care? min [7:20]

What is Certificate of Need? How is it a barrier to accessing quality, affordable Health Care? min [7:35]**

What is Scope of Practice and how are Scope of Practice revisions removing barriers? min [14:07]**

What are the barriers to Telemedicine that need to be removed? min [21:40]**

What internal barriers keep people from accessing affordable Health Care? min [24:44]
How our Community views Health Care through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [36:45]

The violation of Equal Rights is forcing practitioners to beg for permission from the government to care for patients who want the service.

How our Community views Healthcare through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [38:48]

We value win-win solutions for patients and doctors.

How our Community views Healthcare through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [41:22]
How our Community views Healthcare through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [42:50]
How to think about Healthcare solutions through the lens of “What if government didn’t do that?” min [44:17]

*Additional Resource*

Pessimists Archive Podcast hosted by Jason Feifer
EconTalk Podcast hosted by Russ Roberts with Dr. Keith Smith on Free Market Health Care
Dr. Keith Smith’s blog at Surgery Center of Oklahoma
The Free Market Medical Association
From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967 by David Beito

From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State: Fraternal Societies and Social Services, 1890-1967

Show: 012 Top Priority Podcast | Just in Time COVID-19 & Criminal Justice Reform
Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy
Guests: Greg Glod, Criminal Justice Policy Fellow, Americans for Prosperity
Tyler Koteskey, Criminal Justice Reform Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity

What is happening in the Criminal Justice Reform arena during the COVID-19 pandemic? min [2:02]
What action is happening across the country in the Criminal Justice system during COVID-19? What’s going right and what is going wrong? min [4:33]
What isn’t being done during COVID-19 that should be done? min [20:20]
What is the issue with court proceedings? min [26:50]

Show: 011 Top Priority Podcast | The Prison and Reentry Reform Process // Criminal Justice Reform

Date Recorded: June 11, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Rachel Reese, CJR Program Officer, Stand Together

Tyler Koteskey, CJR Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity

What is the Stand Together Community VISION for the prison and reentry process? min [2:08]
What is a technical violation v. a new crime in the reentry process? min [5:05]
Tough on crime v. smart on crime? min [7:06]
How do we apply the Stand Together Community VISION—to break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential—to the prison and reentry process? min [10:26]
State run prisons v. private prisons. min [18:26]
min [10:26]
How our Community views the prison and reentry process through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [22:55]
How our Community views the prison and reentry process through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [31:05]
Empowering non-profit social change entrepreneurs through the Catalyst Program. min [32:32]
How our Community views the prison and reentry process through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [36:30]
How our Community views the prison and reentry process through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [39:00]

Additional Resources

Ep 002 Top Priority | Overcriminalization & Criminal Justice Reform
Larry Lawton on YouTube
The Stand Together Foundation Catalyst Partners: Hudson Link | Café Momentum | The Last Mile
The Stand Together Community

Show: 010 Top Priority Podcast | Technology & Innovation Priority Initiative

Date Recorded: December 17, 2019

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Billy Easley Senior Policy Analyst of Tech & Innovation Americans for Prosperity

Jim Fellinger, Communications Lead on Tech & Innovation, Stand Together

Show Notes

Why is the Stand Together Community involved in Tech & Innovation? min [3:28]

We recognize the historical trend that technology improves people’s lives and America has been at the forefront of that trend.

America continues to be the world leader in making people’s lives better by: min [7:41]
Driving public policy that encourages innovation
Fostering a cultural willingness to embrace new technology
Our Community wants to empower free people to innovate and create whatever they can dream up, which includes: min [11:49]
Permissionless Innovation—free people are best positioned to drive solutions when barriers are removed
Regulatory Humility—the appreciation that free people innovate better than government
What are the external barriers we need to break in the realm of Tech & Innovation? min [13:08]
How dangerous is the internal barrier of technophobia—fear of the unknown? min [17:10]
How our Community views Tech & Innovation through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [30:10]
How our Community views Tech & Innovation through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [38:04]
How our Community views Tech & Innovation through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [41:30]
How our Community views Tech & Innovation through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [45:17]

*Additional Resource*

Trust Ventures—Guiding startups through uncharted territory. The team at Trust Ventures helps tech startups overcome regulatory barriers.
Permissionless Innovation: The Continuing Case for Comprehensive Technological Freedom by Adam Thierer, Senior Research Fellow at Mercatus Center
Check out PermissionlessInnovation.org
Listen to the Pessimists Archive Podcast | A history of why we resist new things
David French writes about his conversation with civil rights leader, Reverend Walter Fauntroy. where French asks Rev. Fauntroy how the the civil rights movement made such rapid gains in the early 1960s; Rev. Fauntroy’s response was, “Almighty God and the First Amendment."

Show: 009 Top Priority Podcast | The Sentencing Process & Criminal Justice Reform

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Tyler Koteskey, Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity

What is the Stand Together Community VISION for the Sentencing Process? min [1:08]
What is role of the Key Institution of Government in making society safer? min [5:24]
What are mandatory minimums? min [9:30]
How do we apply the Stand Together Community VISION—to break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential—to barriers in the Sentencing process? min [14:35]
How our Community views Sentencing through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [20:39]
How our Community views Sentencing through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [26:55]
How our Community views Sentencing through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [28:50]
How our Community views Section 230 through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [31:55]

Additional Resources

Larry Lawton on YouTube
Ep 006 Top Priority | The Trial Process & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 004 Top Priority | Just in Time Qualified Immunity & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 003 Top Priority | Policing & Criminal Justice Reform
Ep 002 Top Priority | Overcriminalization & Criminal Justice Reform

Show: 008 Top Priority Podcast | Immigration Priority Initiative

Date Recorded: January 28, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Jorge Lima, Senior Vice President of Policy, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps

What does our Community believe about Immigration? min [1:52]

We Stand Together to help every person rise—and we believe that every person has the ability to contribute.

How are governmental restrictions on immigration barriers for Americans too? min [9:12]
Our Community wants an immigration system that is open to those who want to contribute and add value to America and keeps out those who seek to do American harm. min [10:48]

The proper role of government is to protect the rights of the individual—thus the proper role of the government on the border is to protect America from those who seek to do us harm.

Our Community advocates for a secure border and a streamlined system of vetting immigration because a convoluted, complicated legal immigration system, inadvertently incentivizes illegal immigration and diverts resources away from protecting the country from those who seek to do us harm. min [13:10]
How does our Community approach Immigration through the framework of our Vision—transforming society by breaking barriers? min [21:03]

Our border shouldn’t be a barrier to human flourishing, Our border should be a barrier only to those who want to harm Americans. The boarder exists to provide protection and safety for Americans and an orderly place of entry into the American experiment.

The Stand Together Community

Show: 007 Top Priority Podcast | History of DACA

Date Recorded: January 28, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Kevin Hernandez, Director of Policy, The Libre Initiative

Show Notes & Timestamps

What is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)? min [1:08]
How does DACA differ from the term DREAMers? min [2:25]
What is the origin story of the term DREAMers? min [4:15]
There is a misunderstanding that our Stand Together Community, as a whole, supports DACA outright, but what is the truth? min [7:27]

DACA was never a permanent solution; it was an Executive Order, never passed into law, that leaves people in an unstable, precarious situation and does not give people a clear path to get right with the law.

What is the reason DACA recipients can’t “get in line” to become legal citizens? min [12:25]
What are the barriers that keep the US from achieving a permanent, legislative solution for individuals affected by DACA? min [20:04]
How is the Trump Administration addressing the issue of DACA? min [23:33]

*Additional Resources*

Why 'Just Becoming a Citizen' isn't an Option for DREAMERS | DREAMERS Have No Pathway to Permanent Legal Status
DREAMERS are Helping America Overcome Coronavirus

Show: 006 Top Priority Podcast | The Trial Process & Criminal Justice Reform

Date Recorded: May 7, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Greg Glod, CJR Fellow, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

What is the Stand Together Community VISION for the Trial Process? min [2:08]
What is charge stacking? min [5:05]
What does good like in the Trial Process? min [14:06]
Many issues in the trial process stem from the unintended consequences of Overcriminalization min [17:45]

Additional Resources

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
Ep 002 Top Priority | Overcriminalization & Criminal Justice Reform

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition

Show: 005 Top Priority Podcast | Just in Time Section 230
Date Recorded: May 29, 2020
Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy
Guests: Jesse Blumenthal, VP of Tech & Innovation, Stand Together

What is Section 230 and how is the Stand Together Community thinking about Section 230? min [1:30]
What is the difference between a publisher or a platform? min [11:25]
How do we apply the Stand Together Community VISION—to break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential—to Section 230? min [13:49]
How our Community views Section 230 through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [17:55]
How our Community views Section 230 through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [20:45]
How our Community views Section 230 through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [24:13]
How our Community views Section 230 through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [24:35]

*Additional Resources*

7 Principles for Reforming Section 230 (and none include policing internet speech)
Principles for Continued American Tech Leadership
What 20 Years of Internet Law Teaches Us about Innovation Policyby Adam Thierer
Permissionless Innovationby Adam Thierer

Show: 004 Top Priority Podcast | Just in Time Qualified Immunity & Criminal Justice Reform

Date Recorded: June 8, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Greg Glod, CJR Fellow, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Casey Mattox, Senior Fellow, Free Speech & Toleration, Charles Koch Institute

What is Qualified Immunity? min [2:25]
What is the rationale for the establishment of Qualified Immunity? min [9:00]
Through the lens our VISION,to break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential, what barriers does Qualified Immunity erect? min [12:00]

You cannot have a Key Institution of Government working correctly, if government is able to violate an individual’s rights and not be held accountable for that violation.

Who is supportive of Qualified Immunity and why? min [20:10]
Without Qualified Immunity, how are police officers protected from bogus lawsuits? min [23:15]

Read: Share a commitment to justice

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*Show Details

Show: 003 Top Priority Podcast | Policing & Criminal Justice Reform

Date Recorded: May 20, 2020

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Brianna Walden, Associate Director for Criminal Justice Reform, Stand Together

Show Notes & Timestamps

What are the five categories of Criminal Justice Reform? min [1:05]
Overcriminalization – What are the laws on the books and how does the proliferation of laws over criminalizes the citizenry?
Policing – How are the laws being enforced in communities?
Due Process – Are those being accused of a crime afforded their Constitutionally guaranteed rights?
Sentencing – Is the punishment proportional to the crime?
Prison and reentry – How to prioritize rehabilitation and allow the formerly incarcerated the best chance to be contributors in society?

*Click here for a printable and clickable pdf download of the show notes from this episode.***

What is the entire portfolio of policing and over-policing? min [5:05]
What are non-criminalizing alternatives to keeping communities safe? min [8:40]
What is Civil Asset Forfeiture and Policing for Profit? min [10:41]
3 things that erode trust and collaboration between the police and communities: min [19:02]
The number of laws on the books forces police to have to enforce bad laws, over criminalizes the citizenry, creates unnecessary points of contact between the police and community members, and diverts scarce justice system resources away from serious and violent crimes.
Perverse incentives like Civil Asset Forfeiture, arrest quotas, and qualified immunity.
A negative police culture such as a code of silence and intervention from police unions that stifles change,
How our Community views Policing through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [25:05]
How our Community views Policing through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [29:20]
How our Community views Policing through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [30:40]
How our Community views Policing through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [33:35]

*Additional Resource*

Stand Together Catalyst
The Other Side Academy
Lone Star Justice Alliance
The Story of Russ Caswell | Institute for Justice
The Policing Project
Read: Share a commitment to justice

*Click here for a printable and clickable pdf download of the show notes from this episode.***

*Click here for a printable and clickable pdf download of the show notes from this episode.***

Show: 002 Top Priority Podcast | Overcriminalization, Criminal Justice Reform Priority Initiative

Date Recorded: December 17, 2019

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: Vikrant Reddy, Senior Fellow, Charles Koch Institute

Show Notes & Timestamps

Why should Americans care about Overcriminalization? min [1:31]

The average American commits three felonies per day because the penal code is so vast, expansive, and unknowable at the federal, state, and local level. min [2:30]

“Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime.”
—Lavrentiy Beria, the ruthless and brutal secret police chief to Joseph Stalin— Why is the Stand Together Community involved in Criminal Justice Reform and reducing Overcriminalization? min [3:27] * What is the difference between criminal law and civil law*? min [5:05] * Our Community believes two criteria must be met for a law to be a criminal law min [6:20]:

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The violation must have, (1) an identifiable victim —AND— (2) a direct victim

How does our Community approach reducing Overcriminalization through the framework of our Vision—transforming society by breaking barriers? min [8:20]
How our Community views Overcriminalization through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [13:55]

Overcriminalization creates a perverse incentive system for unequal application of the law.

“If you don’t know what the law is, it is impossible to obey it.” —Vikrant Reddy—
Read: Share a commitment to justice

*Click here for a printable and clickable pdf download of the show notes from this episode.***

*Click here for a printable and clickable pdf download of the show notes from this episode.***

Show: 001 Top Priority Podcast | Foreign Policy Priority Initiative

Date Recorded: December 18, 2019

Host: Duane Lester, Manager of Issue Education, Grassroots Leadership Academy

Guests: John Byrnes, Director of Issue Education, Concerned Veterans for America Foundation

Tyler Koteskey, Policy Analyst, Americans for Prosperity Foundation

Juliana Heerschap, Director of Policy Engagement, Concerned Veterans for America Foundation

Show Notes & Timestamps

Why is the Stand Together Community involved in Foreign Policy? min [4:07]
What is our Community position on Foreign Policy? min [6:40]

Our mutually reinforcing principle, Openness, informs:

(1) Our Community’s philosophical default position on Foreign Policy

(2) How we expect our government to engage with the world

*Click here for a printable and clickable pdf download of the show notes from this episode.***

Our Community, too, draws on sentiments from George Washington & Thomas Jefferson:

“It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world.”
—George Washington’s Farewell Address to the Nation— “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations—entangling alliances with none.”
—Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address— * As a Community, when do we think our country should go to war? min [13:13]

Our Community believes four criteria must be met before going to war:

Is there vital national interest at stake? Namely is there (a) A threat to our ability to protect our liberal, democratic system at home? —OR— (b) A threat to the long-term prosperity and wellbeing of the United States?
Is there a clear strategy for war and the ability to achieve a specifically stated objective?
Is there Congressional approval as the US Constitution demands?
Is there a clear exit strategy in place for disengaging from war when the objectives are met?
What does it mean to end our endless wars and how do we define an exit strategy? min [6:40]
What does our Community mean by a Foreign Policy of Realism and Restraint? min [37:30]
Does our Community stance on Foreign Policy mean we are anti-military? min [41:40]

Our Community stance on Foreign Policy is first and foremost one of respecting the humanity of our service men and women. We want to protect the wellbeing of our troops and we expect our government use the voluntary service of service men and women, in war, only when it is absolutely necessary and when government meets the four criteria before engaging in war.

We aren’t anti-war, our Community is anti-bad war. min [47:11]
How does United States Trade Policy fit into Foreign Policy? min [48:09]
How our Community views Foreign Policy through the lens of the four mutually reinforcing principles of our Vision: Equal Rights | Mutual Benefit | Openness | Self-Actualization
min [54:30]

Additional Resource: Watch Nate Anderson, Executive Director, Concerned Veterans for America at January 2020 Stand Together Summit | Ending the Moral, Fiscal, Constitutional, and Security Crises of Endless Wars | There is a better way. Together we can end endless wars.

*Click here for a printable and clickable pdf download of the show notes from this episode.***