Joe Carter

Joe Carter is a Senior Editor at the Acton Institute. Joe also serves as an editor at the The Gospel Coalition, a communications specialist for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and as an adjunct professor of journalism at Patrick Henry College. He is the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bible and co-author of How to Argue like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History's Greatest Communicator (Crossway).

Posts by Joe Carter

May 24, 2017

Understanding the President’s Cabinet: White House Chief of Staff

Note: This is the post #18 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here. Cabinet position: White House Chief of Staff Department:  Executive Office of the President Current staffer: Reince Priebus Department Budget: Primary Duties of the Secretary: While the roles of the chief of staff varies by presidential administration, they usually include the following: • Select key White House staff and supervise them; • Structure the White House staff system; • Control the flow of people into the Oval Office; • Manage the flow of information; • Protect the interests of the president; • Negotiate with Congress, other members of the executive branch, and extra-governmental political groups to implement the president’s agenda; and • Advise the president on various issues, including telling the president what he does not want to hear. Continue Reading...
May 23, 2017

The problem with tariffs and protectionism

Note: This is post #34 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. How do tariffs affect consumers? What about producers? Who wins and who loses? In this video by Marginal Revolution University, economist Alex Tabarrok looks at the costs and consequences of tariffs, quotas, and protectionism. Continue Reading...
May 22, 2017

If King Solomon gave a commencement address

The most famous commencement address was never delivered at a graduation. In June 1997 Mary Schmich, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, published what seemed like a perennial cliché—the commencement address she would have given if asked—centered around one critical piece of advice: wear sunscreen. Continue Reading...
May 18, 2017

Explainer: What you should know about NAFTA

The Trump administration formally announced to Congress today that it intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According to the Associated Press, U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer sent a letter to congressional leaders to start 90 days of consultations with lawmakers over how to revamp the pact. Continue Reading...
May 17, 2017

Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Vice President

Note: This is the post #17 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here. Cabinet position: Vice President (VPOTUS) Current: Mike Pence Succession: The Vice President is second in the presidential line of succession. Continue Reading...
May 16, 2017

Should Martha Stewart iron her own shirts?

Note: This is post #33 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Comparative advantage explains why people trade and what goods they should trade. To illustrate the concept of comparative advantage, Marginal Revolution University’s Alex Tabarrok asks, “Should Martha Stewart iron her own shirts?” Continue Reading...
May 15, 2017

Will Big Data hurt the creditworthiness of Christians?

How can you predict the likelihood of whether a borrower would pay back a loan? To answer that question several economist studied the peer-to-peer lending site, Prosper. Potential borrowers on Prosper must write a brief description of why they need a loan and why they are good credit risk. Continue Reading...