Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Public Policy

August 07, 2014

Progressivism Gone Awry

Saul Bellow is a writer who has affected me profoundly before. I have recently found a pair of essays given by him as part of the Tanner Lectures under the title, “A Writer from Chicago.” Continue Reading...
July 29, 2014

Audio: The Crucible of Poverty

On July 17th, the Acton Institute hosted a panel discussion titled “The Crucible of Poverty: Perspectives from the Trenches.” The discussion examined the issue of poverty, with a focus on what strategies for poverty alleviation have worked, what strategies have failed, and how we can better help the most vulnerable among us. Continue Reading...
July 28, 2014

Teachers Unions vs. Students

Labor unions can be a force for good, especially in protecting the interest of workers against exploitation. But as with any human institution, unions can become harmful to the common good. Continue Reading...
July 25, 2014

Why Lawmakers Should Read and Understand the Laws They Make

“I’m still floored that it’s controversial or debatable to say that politicians should read and understand bills before voting them into law.” That quote, from a tweet by Washington Post writer Radley Balko, might provoke sympathetic nods of agreement or sneers of derision from Americans familiar with D.C. Continue Reading...
July 22, 2014

Explainer: The Obamacare Subsidies Ruling (Halbig v. Burwell)

What just happened with Obamacare? In a two-to-one decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dealt a serious blow to Obamacare by ruling the government may not provide subsidies to encourage people to buy health insurance on the new marketplaces run by the federal government. Continue Reading...
July 22, 2014

The Idle Rich

Over at his blog, Peter Boettke writes, “The idle rich are never really idle in a free market economy.” Now while we might want to distinguish between the rich and their riches, could it be that even in their consumption, conspicuous or otherwise, the rich are contributing to a rising tide that lifts all boats? Continue Reading...