Samuel Gregg: Bringing natural law to the nations

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Is a no-deal Brexit a ‘moral failure’?

After a long postponement, the UK Parliament has resumed its debate leading up to the “meaningful vote” on Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal. As of this writing, the unpopular compromise is predicted to fail by an historically large margin – and some clerics consider this not just unfortunate but immoral. Continue Reading...

How economics is like Christianity

Christianity is a very other-directed religion. It requires those of us who are Christians to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31). We are even required to love our enemies and appeal to God on behalf of those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Continue Reading...

In Spain, collectivism is rising on the Right

Spain closed out 2018 by witnessing the rise of a new and growing populist party named Vox, writes Ángel Manuel García Carmona in a new essay for Acton’s Religion & Liberty Transatlantic website: Since 2016, right-wing populist parties have been on the rise in Europe: National Rally (formerly the National Front) in France, the League in Italy, the Party for Freedom in Netherlands, Vlaams Belang in Flanders, and the Alternative for Germany are but a few examples. Continue Reading...

The particular genius of conservatism

The U.S. Constitution is a work of both the historical experience of the Founding Fathers and of the eminently Protestant culture to which they belonged. It is probably futile to try to understand the legal meaning of the Constitution without first grasping its historical and cultural significance. Continue Reading...

Radio Free Acton: A first step towards criminal justice reform; The human cost of unemployment part II

On this episode of Radio Free Acton, producer Caroline Roberts speaks with Sarah Estelle, associate professor of economics at Hope College. Caroline and Sarah discuss the subject of criminal justice reform in light of the recently passed, bipartisan bill, The First Step Act, covering specific policies in the new bill and effects of the current criminal system. Continue Reading...

What Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gets wrong about Europe

During her interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday, newly sworn in Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez justified her vision of democratic socialism by invoking a caricature of Europe. When asked if she wanted to turn the United States into a version of Venezuela or the Soviet Union, Ocasio-Cortez demurred with an incredulous smile. Continue Reading...

Reviving the spirit of free trade

The current support for tariffs in the United States has left me disappointed, frustrated, and in many unproductive debates. The French political philosopher, Frédéric Bastiat, best articulated my sentiments in an 1847 letter to Richard Cobden, “And I want not so much free trade itself as the spirit of free trade for my country. Continue Reading...