Economic policy – Acton Institute PowerBlog

May 29, 2015

Wouldn’t It Be Loverly: Audrey Hepburn, Nail Salons And How To Help Women

As I wrote here a couple of weeks ago, nail salons across the country are under scrutiny for abusive labor tactics and human trafficking. New York City has taken a hard look at this issue (thank goodness!) and is considering implementing some not-so-well-thought-out policies. Continue Reading...

March 07, 2014

Explainer: What is President Obama’s Budget?

What is the President’s budget? Technically, it’s only a budget request—a proposal telling Congress how much money the President believes should be spent on the various Cabinet-level federal functions, like agriculture, defense, education, etc. Continue Reading...

February 06, 2014

Obamacare and the Laffer Curve Napkin

During a meeting in a restaurant with two officials from the Ford Administration — Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld — a young economist sketched a curve on a napkin to illustrate an argument he was making. Continue Reading...

January 13, 2014

Think Redistribution Is Great? Here Are A Few Questions For You

Are you a fan of redistribution? Do you think those with more money should willingly or unwillingly spread the wealth? Do you believe the government should step in and help with the redistribution process? Continue Reading...

January 08, 2014

Is the $17 Trillion Federal Debt Immoral?

Even when we agree on what Biblical principles should guide our political choices, evangelicals from the left and right rarely agree on policy solutions. But there is one area where there appears to be an increasingly significant level of agreement: the immorality of our national debt. Continue Reading...

October 08, 2013

Explainer: What You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling

What is the debt limit or debt ceiling? In most years the federal government brings in less revenue than it spends. To cover this difference, the Treasury Department has to issue government bonds which increases the national debt. Continue Reading...

September 12, 2013

Was the Sequester ‘Expansionary Austerity’?

Over at Neighborhood Effects, James Broughel asks the question, “Has the Sequester Hurt the Economy?” So have the sequester cuts hurt the economy? One possible answer comes from a new paper by Scott Sumner of Bentley University. Continue Reading...

February 19, 2013

Toiling for Pharaoh

My friend John Teevan of Grace College sends out a monthly newsletter, “Economic Prospect.” He passes along this in the current edition: I found this note from a newly retired accountant (age 66) who has not gone on social security yet. Continue Reading...

December 11, 2012

Economic Freedom: Vital for All

On Nov. 28, the Canada-based Fraser Institute released the eighth edition of its annual report, Economic Freedom of North America 2012, in which the respective economic situation and government regulatory factors present in the states and provinces of North America were gauged. Continue Reading...

December 05, 2012

The FAQs: What is the Fiscal Cliff?

What is the “fiscal cliff”? The term “fiscal cliff”, which is believed to have originated in Congressional testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, refers to the substantial changes to tax and spending policies that are scheduled to automatically take effect in January 2013. Continue Reading...

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