For media requests, contact Camille Walsh, State Policy Network’s Communications Manager, at walsh@spn.org or (504) 338-8785.
Experts
Tony Woodlief
Tony Woodlief is a political science expert and executive vice president at State Policy Network. Tony is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan and an MFA from Wichita State University. Tony has been published in national outlets including The Wall Street Journal and RealClearPolitics. He is the author of I, Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance.
Carrie Conko
Carrie Conko is the Senior Vice President of Communications of State Policy Network. Prior to joining SPN in 2016, Carrie was senior vice president at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University where she oversaw all aspects of communications, marketing, and outreach. Carrie received her BA in International Relations and Anthropology from American University.
Erin Norman
Erin Norman is the Lee Family Fellow and Senior Messaging Strategist at State Policy Network, leading collaborative, strategic messaging development to persuade more people to choose free-market based reforms. She has over 15 years in communications research including experience in campaign polling at the local, state and federal level and in voter and consumer micro-targeting using predictive analytics. Erin holds a Master’s in Public Policy from The College of William and Mary, with a focus on econometrics, and a BS in Business Administration from Boston University.
Todd Davidson
Todd Davidson is State Policy Network’s Vice President of Programs. Todd works directly with state think tanks to develop their organization and advocacy strategies. Over the years he has helped start more than a dozen state think tanks and guided over 30 think tanks through strategy development processes. Todd received a Bachelors and Master’s degree in economics from the University of Kansas. Todd is an expert in organizational strategy, think tank advocacy, and political economy.
SPN in the News
Op-eds
The States are the Appropriate Laboratory for Meaningful Healthcare Reform
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | March 13, 2023
Elitist Student Loan Bailout Turns Blind Eye to Struggling Americans
Erin Norman in The Hill | March 8, 2023
Legislatures’ Too-Often-Abdicated Role: Oversight
Steven Johnson in Governing | February 24, 2023
We Need a New School of Thought about Charter Schools
Kerry McDonald in the New York Post | February 24, 2023
We Must Embrace our National Identity, Allow Communities to Govern Themselves
Erin Norman in The Washington Times | February 16, 2023
State of the Union? Look to the States of the Union.
Ray Nothstine in Governing | February 6, 2023
Let Children Transfer to a Different Public School
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | January 25, 2023
Lauren Boebert’s Near Loss Proves the Cult of Trump is Dead
Erin Norman in the New York Post | November 26, 2022
The Midterm Results are Good for Republicans, if Not Great
Erin Norman in the Spectator | November 15, 2022
Politicians’ Backstabbing Family Members are the Worst
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | October 30, 2022
Why Americans are Concealing their True Political Beliefs
Erin Norman in The Hill | October 25, 2022
The 50 Governments That Hold the Answer to American Division
Erin Norman at Governing | October 10, 2022
Make it Easier for Education Entrepreneurs to Thrive
Kerry McDonald in the Washington Examiner | October 6, 2022
The Right’s New Divide: Frodo versus Boromir
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | October 4, 2022
States Are Showing Washington How to Relieve Inflation
SPN’s Michael Lucci in The American Spectator | September 22, 2022
Georgia Senate Race Distracts from More Relevant State Elections
Erin Norman in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution| September 21, 2022
Biden’s Democracy Speech a Pathetic Attempt to Pander to his Base
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | September 7, 2022
Giving States More Autonomy is a Return to Our Country’s Foundation
Erin Norman in The Washington Post | September 1, 2022
Solving the Student Debt Crisis Instead of Prolonging It
Erin Norman in The Hill | August 25, 2022
All of the Ways the School Choice Movement is Winning at the State Level
Chantal Lovell in the Washington Examiner
Rebuilding Trust in Government: A Model Emerges at Local Level
Erin Norman at RealClearPolitics | August 16, 2022
Education Freedom is the Silent Midterm Issue
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | August 16, 2022
Why We Must Expand Choice Within the Public School System
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | August 15, 2022
No, America Is Not on the Verge of a New Civil War
Erin Norman in Governing | August 3, 2022
Reject Biden’s Regulatory Push
Erin Norman at National Review | August 1, 2022
Fixing Things at the Local Level Without Government
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | July 14, 2022
Trust in Government Lower Now Than After Watergate Scandal
Erin Norman at RealClearPolitics | June 30, 2022
Americans’ Surprising Agreement on Teaching Race in the Classroom
Erin Norman in Governing | June 7, 2022
As Biden Dithers, States Are Enacting Meaningful Inflation Policy
Erin Norman in The Hill | June 6, 2022
America Doesn’t Need to Argue Less, It Needs to Argue Better
Tony Woodlief at RealClearBooks | June 2, 2022
How an AP Headline Twists a Tale of American Racism
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | May 27, 2022
Beware, Party Bosses, the Rise of the Unaffiliateds is Coming For You
Tony Woodlief in The Washington Post | April 14, 2022
Gen Z’s Surprising Support for Federalism
Erin Norman in InsideSources | April 5, 2022
Americans’ Declining Trust in the Politicians Who Run Their Schools
Erin Norman in Governing Magazine | March 2, 2022
Let Our Communities Lead
Tony Woodlief at National Review | March 4, 2022
Declining trust in government shows why local politics matters
Erin Norman in the Washington Examiner | January 31, 2022
The Rise of the Interloping Radicals
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | January 19, 2022
Independent Voters are Alive and Well—and Angrier Than Ever
Tony Woodlief in The New York Post | December 11, 2021
America Needs a Great Decentralization
Michael Lucci in National Review | November 26, 2021
Is America in ‘a Cold Civil War’? Not at All.
Tony Woodlief at Governing | October 8, 2021
State Bans on Critical Race Theory Won’t Work
Tony Woodlief in The Wall Street Journal | August 20, 2021
All Agree: Better Voting Access and Security Are Needed
Tony Woodlief at Real Clear Politics | September 11, 2021
How the States Can Fight the Federal Incentives Encouraging Joblessness
Michael Lucci in National Review | June 15, 2021
States Offer an Alternative Path to Save American Healthcare
Kathleen O’Hearn at US News & World Report | March 29, 2021
Why the 2020 Election is a Mandate for Solutions and Moderation
Carrie Conko and Erin Norman in USA Today | November 23, 2020
Free Speech Absolutism Killed Free Speech
Tony Woodlief at The Wall Street Journal | September 7, 2020
The Overlooked Potential of State AGs for Police Reform
Tony Woodlief at Governing | June 15, 2020
Broadcast
The Fragility of Citizenship
Tony Woodlief with Victor Davis Hanson on Center for Civil Society’s webinar | December 8, 2022
Why Americans are Concealing Their True Political Beliefs
Erin Norman on the Matt Allen Show | October 27, 2022
The Rise of Independents
Tony Woodlief on the Michael Smerconish Show | April 19, 2022
Can Federalism Save America?
A Conversation with Fox News’ Guy Benson and Tony Woodlief | March 24, 2022
The Rise of the Independent Voter
Tony Woodlief on Wake Up Columbia with Branden Rathert (Missouri) | February 9, 2022
Is America Divided?
Tony Woodlief on the Moon Griffon Show (Louisiana) | February 9, 2022
Reclaiming American Self-Governance
Tony Woodlief on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal | December 23, 2021
Independent Voters ANGRIER Than Ever, Will the Parties SMARTEN UP and Find Better 2024 Candidates?
Tony Woodlief on The Hill TV | December 17, 2021
I, Citizen Takeaways
Tony Woodlief on the Jim Bohannon Radio Show | December 6, 2021
The Rise of Independents
Tony Woodlief on the Lars Larson Show | November 15, 2021
Election 2021 and the Rise of the Independent Voter
Tony Woodlief on Fox News Radio | November 9, 2021
State Bans on Critical Race Theory
Tony Woodlief on the David Webb Show | August 27, 2021
Podcasts
Tony Woodlief: I, Citizen
Tony Woodlief on the Civil Squared Podcast | December 13, 2021
What Does ‘Self-Governance’ Look Like In The Era Of Community Decay?
Tony Woodlief on The Federalist Podcast | December 13, 2021
Podcast: Can American Self-Governance Be Saved?
Tony Woodlief on the Spectator Podcast | December 8, 2021
Episode 381: I, Citizen by Tony Woodlief
Tony Woodlief on National Review’s Bookmonger Podcast | December 6, 2021
The High Costs of Incarceration
Rebecca Painter on the Civil Squared Podcast | September 13, 2021