Goldwater Institute Vice President for Legal Affairs Tim Sandefur joined the Grand Canyon Times podcast to discuss his new book, You Don't Own Me: Individualism and the Culture of Liberty.

Sandefur traced the idea of individual freedom through literature, film, architecture, and American history, arguing that personal self-sovereignty is the foundation of cultural creativity and political liberty.

He also addressed modern threats to individuality, including social conformity pressures and artificial intelligence, emphasizing the need for independent thinking and personal responsibility in a free society.

In this episode of the Grand Canyon Times podcast, host Leyla Gulen speaks with Henry Thomson, Associate Professor at Arizona State University's School of Politics and Global Studies.

Thomson, a political economist and author of Food and Power and Watching the Watchers, discusses the growing polarization on college campuses and the breakdown of open, civil political discourse among students. Drawing from his international academic experience, Thomson compares U.S. polarization to global trends, reflecting on how social media, ideology, and fear of backlash have changed university culture.

In the wake of the killing of activist Charlie Kirk, he explores how universities can foster respectful debate, balance free speech with safety, and help students engage across divides by examining underlying assumptions rather than reacting emotionally.

In this episode of the Grand Canyon Times podcast, host Leyla Gulen talks with Chris Thomas, Director of Legal Strategy for Education Policy at the Goldwater Institute and a longtime Arizona school attorney. Thomas discusses findings from a Goldwater report revealing the many hidden forms of compensation for Arizona school superintendents—including car stipends, excessive vacation days, and cash payouts—that go far beyond base salaries. He explains how a lack of transparency leaves both taxpayers and school boards in the dark, and calls for public posting of superintendent contracts as already required in Indiana, Illinois, and Texas. The conversation also touches on broader education policy issues, including administrative spending versus classroom funding, chronic absenteeism, and the impact of school choice in Arizona's evolving education landscape