Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Poverty

March 08, 2019

Charity – the anomaly of giving

This week’s Ash Wednesday marked the first day of Lent – a period of intensive spiritual renewal in many Christian liturgical calendars. Lent is a season lasting exactly 40 days, as we imitate the time Jesus spent on retreat in the desert in preparation for the giving of his life to us on the cross, the ultimate act of love or caritas for all humanity. Continue Reading...
February 20, 2019

Democrats proposed subsidies do not make the rent any less high

Democratic Senators and Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Cory Booker have both recently proposed legislation to address the issue of rising housing costs. Senator Harris’ bill ‘The Rent Relief Act’ and Senator Booker’s bill ‘Housing, Opportunity, Mobility, and Equity Act’ both focus on assisting people who pay more than 30% of their gross income on rent or, in the case of Senator Harris’s bill, rent and utilities. Continue Reading...
December 20, 2018

Is the UK facing massive child poverty?

Charles Dickens wrote in Oliver Twist that “very sage, very deep” British leaders “established the rule that all poor people should have the alternative … of being starved by a gradual process in the [poor]house, or by a quick one out of it.” If one were to believe a recent UN report on poverty, the fate of the poor remains Dickensian. Continue Reading...
November 26, 2018

On #GivingTuesday, avoid benevolent harm

Everyone is familiar with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Now in its seventh year, #GivingTuesday has also become a permanent and popular fixture in the post-Thanksgiving landscape. #GivingTuesday occurs on the Tuesday immediately after Thanksgiving. Continue Reading...
Seamstress hard at work.
October 31, 2018

In the wake of socialism, Venezuela’s black-market capitalists meet community needs

The Venezuelan people continue to struggle and suffer under the weight of severe socialist policies—facing increased poverty and hunger, swelling suicide rates, and widespread social unrest. Yet even as its president admits to a nationwide economic emergency, the government continues to celebrate the very drivers behind the collapse, blaming low oil prices and “global capitalism,” instead. Continue Reading...