Several years ago economist Bryan Caplan provided the most succinct and helpful statement about how we should think about free trade: “We’d be better off if other countries gave us stuff for free. Continue Reading...
Latest Posts
August 21, 2019
Video: Deltan Dallagnol on the fight against corruption in Brazil
On Thursday, June 20th, Acton welcomed Deltan Dallagnol to deliver an evening plenary address at Acton University 2019.
A Harvard-trained attorney, Deltan Dallagnol gained international attention as the lead prosecutor in Operation Car Wash, one of the largest corruption probes in Latin American history. Continue Reading...
August 21, 2019
PowerLinks 08.21.19
Edmund Burke, Free Marketeer
Kai Weiss, The American Conservative
Big-government conservatives should try actually reading him before they claim him as their own.
Two Big Ways American Consumers Benefit from Trade With China
Art Carden, FEE
In a recent study, economists Liang Bai and Sebastian Stumpner analyze price data from the Nielsen Homescan panel to estimate the effects of trade with China on American consumers. Continue Reading...
August 20, 2019
Bishop Robert Barron explains Marxism in 21 minutes
Despite Marxism’s growing popularity among young people, church authorities spend little time discussing the topic – and when they do, they often speak in a misleading way. Thankfully, Bishop Robert Barron, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, addressed the topic at length last week. Continue Reading...
August 20, 2019
Understanding the words we use
Today, we face a prevalent problem when making arguments about trending topics. Words such as capitalism, socialism, conservative, liberal and other broad categorical terms all have a wide range of meanings and emotions attached to them. Continue Reading...
August 20, 2019
Free marketers should take social conservatives’ concerns more seriously
It’s no secret that major rifts have opened up between advocates of free markets and social conservatives in recent years. As someone who (1) ascribes to what would be conventionally called socially conservative views (though I think they’re more accurately called the insights of natural law and right reason) and (2) regards a free market economy as the most prudent set of economic arrangements for individuals, communities, and nations, I find myself constantly exposed to these debates. Continue Reading...
August 20, 2019
How churches are helping people with medical debt
A recent study found that 66.5 percent of all bankruptcies were tied to medical issues. An estimated 530,000 families turn to bankruptcy each year because of medical issues and bills, the research found. Continue Reading...
August 20, 2019
PowerLinks 08.20.19
Currency and the Common Good
Peter J. Leithart, First Things
In Christianity, profit doesn’t shatter a closed cosmos because the cosmos was never closed to begin with.
The High Cost of Occupational Licensing
Antony Sammeroff, Mises Institute
Many policies can end up having the opposite effect from what is intended. Continue Reading...
August 19, 2019
Scholars discover Locke manuscript arguing for the toleration of Catholics
Kimberly Uslin reports on the discovery of a of previously unknown manuscript by the philosopher John Locke at the Greenfield Library at St. John’s College:
According to Walmsley and Waldmann, this was the first major discovery of new work by Locke in a generation. Continue Reading...
August 19, 2019
Will the Vatican’s economics drive Matteo Salvini to victory?
Italy’s coalition government seems ready to break apart, with Matteo Salvini of the League (who is seen as the country’s real leader) calling for new elections to force the Five Star Movement out of his alliance and Five Star trying to form a new coalition with the Democratic Party in order to oust Salvini. Continue Reading...
