Acton Institute Powerblog

Promoting free societies characterized by liberty & religious principles

Search results for "philip booth"
March 07, 2019

The moral threat of measuring the ‘pay gap’

The “ethnic pay gap” in the UK has been estimated at £3.2 billion ($4.2 billion U.S.), or nearly $200 a week. To rectify this, 15 major employers – including the Bank of England, Deloitte UK, and Citibank UK – have agreed (after nudging from the Conservative government) to publish their ethnic pay figures. Continue Reading...
January 29, 2019

Climate change: Regulations vs. results

Christians believe we should be good stewards of the earth, and for some the issue has taken on apocalyptic dimensions. Yet faith leaders, including the leaders of multiple worldwide Christian communions, have ignored the most effective method for reducing carbon emissions while praising counterproductive policies. Continue Reading...
December 21, 2018

Gilet jaunes and the issue of intergenerational justice

France’s “yellow vest” protesters oppose the nation’s crushing carbon taxes on fossil fuels, but a deeper issue stoking discontent remains unexplored. Without addressing that issue, President Emmanuel Macron’s concessions to the gilet jaunes protesters “will certainly not resolve France’s underlying economic problems,” writes Professor Philip Booth in a new essay for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic titled, “Gilet jaune: the uprising of a generation.” Continue Reading...
October 29, 2018

FAQ: UK budget 2018, the end of austerity?

“Austerity is coming to an end,” Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced as he unveiled a budget laden with significant spending increases before the UK Parliament this afternoon. Here are the facts you need to know: What are the total numbers? Continue Reading...
October 09, 2018

Listen: The Christian case for capitalism

The Institute of Economic Affairs explores the ethical argument for a free economy – and why Christians are not making it. In the latest episode of its podcast, an Anglican priest and a Catholic scholar discuss that question, as well as Archbishop Justin Welby’s homily against Amazon, Jesus’ supposed condemnation of wealth, and why clergy tend to support government intervention into the economy. Continue Reading...
April 18, 2018

A polite rebuke of Pope Francis’ economic confusion

Review of Pope Francis and the Caring Society, edited by Robert M. Whaples; The Independent Institute, Oakland, CA; 2017, 234 pp. Having toiled in the free-market research universe for nearly two decades, perhaps the most common misperception I’ve encountered is “whataboutism.” Continue Reading...
February 12, 2018

When does interest become usury?

“Usury humiliates and kills,” Pope Francis recently told the John Paul II Anti-Usury Non Profit Association in Italy. “Usury is a grave sin. It kills life, stomps on human dignity, promotes corruption, and sets up obstacles to the common good.” Continue Reading...