What should American citizens think of Emmanuel Macron and the impact he will have as the next president of France? His outsider status, entrenched opposition, andimprecise political platform may createthe perfect storm for France to continue marching in place, according to anew essay in Religion & Liberty Transatlantic. “The French don’t like change; they like what’s new,” writes Christophe Foltzenlogel, a jurist for the European Centre for Law and Justice (the counterpart to the ACLJ, founded by Jay Sekulow). How...

Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and munities. Conversely, not having a job can adversely affect spiritual and psychological well-being of individuals and families. Because unemployment is a spiritual problem, Christians in America need to understand and be aware of the monthly data on employment. Each month highlight the latest numbers we need...

Economist Russ Roberts has produced a charming new video, “It’s a Wonderful Loaf”,that reveals the “hidden harmony that is all around us.” In the animated poem, Roberts looks at the “seemingly magical ways” that we anticipate and meet the needs of each other without anyone being in charge. While the poem is helpful in seeing the hidden order in markets, it’s missing a key explanation. Roberts claims this order is not designed but just “emerges” by the actions of humans:...

The following essay appeared Friday, May 5, 2017, at Crux. In a recent message by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Academy of Social Science he outlines some moral concerns about a phenomenon he sees as invading (his term) “high levels of culture and education in both universities and in schools,” namely “libertarian individualism.” On the first day of my philosophy classes, the professor admonished us that if we want to have an intelligent discussion or debate, we must begin by...

French citizens will choose a new president this Sunday, and one of them – Emmanuel Macron – recently announced that, if elected, he will urge the European Union to impose sanctions against the nation of Poland. Polish writerMarcin Rzegocki asks “Does Macron want the EU to punish Poland for its charity or its success?”in a mentary forReligion & Liberty Transatlantic. Macron said he would ask the EU to punish Poland for its refusal to admit its prescribed share of mostly...

When I was growing up, my brother and I would occasionally play something akin to penny poker, doling out an equal amount of “chips,” in whatever form they took, and playing until someone took the whole pile. Unfortunately, the games never lasted very long. Knowing that there was nothing at stake—not even pennies—one of us would soon bet everything on a lark and the game would be over. The risk didn’t affect us, so there was never a need to...

With economic growth gradually declining since the 1980s and in the first quarter of 2017 possessing a growth-rate of only 0.7 percent, the United States is not headed in a direction of growth and prosperity. In a new article for The Stream, Acton’s Director of Research, Samuel Gregg, highlights this current trend, pointing to an aging population and over-regulation as likely culprits. He also affirms the necessity of innovation and the alleviation of burdensome regulations. Gregg begins by articulating the...

The trade deficit has been in the news on both sides of the Atlantic in recent days. Shortly before winning the first round of the French presidential elections, Emmanuel Macron said, “Germany benefits from the imbalances within the eurozone and achieves very high trade surpluses. Those aren’t a good thing, either for Germany or for the economy of the eurozone. There should be a rebalancing.” Just days later, President Donald Trump tweeted that U.S. GDP grew at a low rate,...

According to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the values and priorities of young adults are shifting dramatically from those of generations past, particularly when es to work, education, and family. “Most of today’s Americans believe that educational and economic plishments are extremely important milestones of adulthood,” the study concludes. “In contrast, marriage and parenthood rank low: over half of Americans believe that marrying and having children are not very important in order to e an adult.” Comparing...

In our discussions about free trade, it can be easy to focus only on short-term disruptions or long-term material gains, using either to argue for or against it on behalf of the poor. But at a more fundamental level, what does the expansion of trade really involve? As Kishore Jayabalan explains in the following excerpt from PovertyCure, trade is ultimately about human relationships. “You’re creating a whole system of social interaction,” he says, “where people feel much more involved in...