Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Acton Occasional Series

April 25, 2017

Price Controls and Communism

Note: This is post #30 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. What happens when price controls are used in communist countries? As Alex Tabarrok explains, all of the effects of price controls become amplified: there are even more shortages or surpluses of goods, lower product quality, longer lines and more search costs, more losses in gains from trade, and more misallocation of resources. Continue Reading...
April 21, 2017

Explainer: What you should know about Earth Day?

What is Earth Day? Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970, the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement. Continue Reading...
April 18, 2017

5 Facts about taxes and tax day

Because of a quirk of the calendar, today (April 18) is tax day, the day when individual income tax returns are due to the federal government. Here are five facts you should know about taxes and tax day: 1. Continue Reading...
April 18, 2017

Why do governments enact price controls?

Note: This is post #29 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. If price controls have negative consequences—and they do—then why do governments enact them? In this video by Marginal Revolution University, economist Alex Tabarrok looks at the example of President Nixon’s wage and price controls in the 1970s. Continue Reading...
April 17, 2017

7 Figures: Restrictions on religion around the globe

Anew study by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the John Templeton Foundation reports on the extent to which governments and societies around the world impinge on religious beliefs and practices. Here are seven figures you should know from the latest study on trends in religious hostilities: 1. Continue Reading...
April 14, 2017

When was the original Good Friday?

Today is Good Friday*, the religious holiday that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. Christians have celebrated the event for over two millennia. But what was the date of the original Good Friday? Continue Reading...
April 13, 2017

Explainer: What exactly is a ‘currency manipulator’?

Now that we’re within a few days of the 100-day deadline, though, President Trump has changed his mind. Yesterday, he said he will not be labeling China a currency manipulator. Whatever you feel about the flip-flop, Trump’s rhetoric had caught up with reality: China hasn’t devalued its currency since 2014. Continue Reading...