Debates continue to rage about immigration policy and the best way to manage our range of migrant and refugee crises. Yet much of our solution-seeking seems intently focused on the levers of government. Whatever side of the political divide,we continue to hear Biblical justifications for a range of policy solutions. But however important those political considerations may be, we should remember that our basic ethic of Christian hospitality doesn’t rely or depend on decisions or decrees from the halls of...

President Donald Trump met today with Vladimir Putin for a summit in Helsinki, Finland. Here are five facts you should know aboutthe powerful and controversialRussian president. 1.Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin was born in Cold War era Russia in 1952. His mother worked in a factory during World War II, and his father was drafted into the army,where he served on a submarine fleet. During his younger years, Putinwas an atheist. He says he turned to the church after two major accidents...

The digital currency Bitcoin has not only attracted a lot of interest from investors, but it has raised some intriguing economic and financial questions. Economists and other theorists have long grappled with problems such as inflation, counterfeiting or money laundering. When we are talking about money in a digital world, however, we may have specific problems like scarcity and trust issues. Inflation Bitcoin is based on the underlying block chain technology (see this explainer). Each time a user discovers a...

At Acton University, Turkish Islamic scholar, Mustafa Akyol, gave multiple lectures on Islam, discussing topics ranging from its history to its controversial practices. Akyol has been speaking at Acton University for many years now and is a respected scholar in fields of Islam, politics, and Turkish affairs. He is a critic of Islamic extremism and the author of the influential book Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty. After attending both of Akyol’s lectures, a few points stood out...

In his new article for the Catholic World Report, Samuel Gregg, Research Director for the Acton Institute, argues that many in the world today have replaced politics with religion. One result of this is disproportionate outrage and scandal over political events, such as Brett Kavanaugh’s recent nomination to the United States Supreme Court. On the other hand, replacing religion with politics can also lead to a watered-down, “prudentialized” theology that ignores moral absolutes and weakens the bonds of faith. Gregg...

Donald Trump has just left Brussels after a two-day NATO summit after he raised two key issues. Here’s what you need to know. What were the main two key issues raised at the NATO summit? President Trump objected to Germany’s agreement to build an energy pipeline with Russia, and he repeated his insistence that member nations spend at least two percent of GDP on national defense. Why did he say Germany is “controlled by Russia”? Donald Trump opened the summit...

During the 38th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), on June 18 – July 6, 2018, the UN Special Rapporteur, an Englishman by the name of Philip Alston, presented a report on poverty in the United States, the full text of which may be read here. This report, based on a two-week fact-finding mission to various locations in the United States and interviews with local, state, and federal politicians and civil servants, represents the official UN view...

Simply defined, populism is the rebellion of mon man against the outsiders. This vague definition reflects the reality that there are populists of numerous different political persuasions; at its heart, populism is a strategy, not an ideology. Populism is dangerous because its antagonistic framework prevents proper dialogue between different groups; promise allows a morally inferior group to force its views on the people. Populism frequently panies US political movements. The Tea Party, Andrew Jackson’s war on the bank, Occupy Wall...

All our politics is religious, says Jonathan Leeman. “Neutrality is a bluff, he adds, “We are all sectarians (and conversations in the public square will e more honest when everyone names their ‘sect’). . . . Whoever gets to define which issues are ‘religious’ gets to rigs the game.” Should we therefore conclude that the the U. S. Constitution’s “no religious test for public office” clause is nothing more than an ideological power play? “Not at all,” says Leeman: In...

Note: This is post #84 in a weekly video series on basic economics. What spurs the growth of new ideas? The vital factor is institutions, which serve as the soil where ideas are planted, says Alex Tabarrok in this video by Marginal Revolution University. While it may seem like ideas grow at random, the truth is you need a set of key ingredients, say Tabarook, or what we call “institutions.” (If you find the pace of the videos too slow,...