Latest Posts

January 19, 2018

The euro, Brussels, and the Russian bear

  The government of Poland is part of the new surge of populism, openly defying the European Union on numerous policy fronts and rebuffing calls for an “ever-closer union.” So, why did its prime minister recently raise the possibility of adopting the euro? Continue Reading...
January 19, 2018

Why government is not just a necessary evil

In the Federalist Papers James Madison claimed that, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” But is that true? James R. Rogers, an associate professor of political science at Texas A&M University, explains why some form of government would be necessary even if man were still in a prelapsarian state of nature: [E]ven without the Fall, there would be a role for civil government for the duly recognized person who exercises civil authority. Continue Reading...
January 17, 2018

Macron’s Orwellian fake news fix

“On January 3, during his first press event of the new year, French President Emmanuel Macron presented a proposal intended to ‘protect the democratic life’ of France from ‘fake news,’” writes Marcin Rzegocki in this week’s Acton Commentary. Continue Reading...
January 17, 2018

Explainer: What you should know about a government shutdown

Why is there talk about a government shutdown? In December Congress passed the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (H.R. 1370) which provides non-discretionary funding through January 19, 2018. Because that Act expires at midnight on Friday, Congress must pass a new continuing appropriations act to keep the government operating. Continue Reading...
January 16, 2018

The 2 things that can help Africans prosper

For too long, the West’s policy toward Africa could be summed up in two words: foreign aid. Somehow, temporary funds transfers – many of which never reach their recipient country and end up in the pockets of well-connected Western professionals – would solve structural development issues. Continue Reading...
January 16, 2018

Asymmetric information and used cars

Note: This is post #64 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Adverse selection occurs when an offer conveys negative information about what is being offered. For example, in the market for used cars, sellers have more information about the car’s quality than buyers. Continue Reading...
January 15, 2018

The 3 reasons Martin Luther King Jr. rejected Communism

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the United States, but the civil rights leader is a figure of worldwide significance. He learned the principles of non-violence from those resisting the British empire, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Stockholm, and is one of the “twentieth century martyrs” whose statue sits atop the great west door of Westminster Cathedral (alongside Maximilian Kolbe, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and others). Continue Reading...