Image from Wikimedia ‘Democracy in America’ by Alexis de Tocqueville is a 19th century book that serves as a guide to explain how the American political system has evolved into its current state. In this book, Tocqueville describes what he noticed about American democracy when he traveled through the country in 1831. Acton Institute Director of Research, Samuel Gregg gives insight in a new article at Public Discourseof what Tocqueville noticed about American democracy and how it might be susceptible...

Earlier today, President Trump took action to formally abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Here is what you should know about the agreement and why it matters. What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership? Five years in the making, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was a trade agreement between the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Vietnam, Chile, Brunei, Singapore, and New Zealand. The twelve countries in the proposed prise roughly 40 percent of global G.D.P. and one-third of world trade. The purpose...

BillBuckley and Russell Kirk were leaders in buildinga movement of cultural conservatism to counter the dominant strain of liberalism that governed American politics following World War II. Thismovement would eventually lead to the presidency of Ronald Reagan and the end of the Cold War, as well as the riseof Republican congressional leadership in the 1990s and following. But with the fall munism and a changing American society, cultural conservatism finds itself at a crossroads. Avik Roy, president ofThe Foundation for...

This morning, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Brexit may not go forward unless Parliament votes to authorize withdrawal from the European Union, despite the fact that the motion won a national referendum last year. Here are five facts you need to know about British citizens’ attempt to reassert their sovereignty by leaving the Brussels-based international government body. 1. Brexit passed handily and remains popular in England. Parliament voted in June and December 2015 to allow for a national referendum...

At noon today, Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Whether you supported or opposed him, as Christians we have a specific duty to our new president: to pray for him. The Apostle Paul urges us to make “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving” for “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1). When we fail to pray for...

As the Trump Administration begins its work this week, the media continues to call on the Acton Institute for analysis mentary, both in the US and abroad. Internationally, Acton Director of Programs and Education Paul Bonicelli joined hostAlex Jensen ontbs eFM 101.3’s “This Morning” program in Seoul, South Koreaon January 22ndto discuss the economic challenges facing the ing administration, and the likelihood of potential trade conflicts between the United States and other nations down the road based on the protectionist...

A pastor and North Carolina native is being held in Turkey on unsubstantiated charges of terrorism related activity. After more than 20 years of serving as an evangelical missionary in Turkey, Andrew Brunson, 48, thought he was being summoned to receive a long-awaited permanent residence card. Instead, Brunson was notified that he was being deported based on being a “threat to national security.” He was held for 63 days while being denied access to an attorney—and even denied access to...

In honor of the seventh annual National School Choice Week, here are some facts you should know about school choice in America. What does “school choice” mean? The term “school choice” refers to programs that give parents the power and opportunity to choose the schools their children attend, whether public, private, parochial, or homeschool. Why is school choice necessary? While there are some excellent public schools in America, many students are trapped in schools with inadequate facilities, substandard curriculum, and...

Note: This is post #18 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. To solve economic problems we need to solve information and incentive problems. In this video, Alex Tabarrok looks at how Nobel Prize-winner Friedrich Hayek described the price system and its approach to solving the information problem. In this video, we take a look at how Nobel Prize-winner Friedrich Hayek described the price system and its approach to solving the information problem. (If you find the pace of...

Acton Institute President Rev. Robert A. Sirico joined host Neal Cavuto this morning on Fox News Channel’sCost of Freedom to mentary on the national prayer service held today at the Washington National Cathedral as part of the activities surrounding the inauguration of President Donald Trump, and to examine the role the civil religion has played throughout American history. You can view the interview below. ...