In a new blockbuster film, director Christopher Nolan faithfully captures for the big screen the frantic chaos and desperation of the Allied forces at Dunkirk in 1940. It is another vivid reminder that, as so many throughout history have reminded us, “War is hell.” Those who know their history understand that on the French beaches of the Strait of Dover, the Allied forces are thrown once again into another world conflict, this time to protect Western freedom and its democratic...

For the past decade, Catholic education has been on the decline. Data from the 2016-2017 National Catholic Education Association Report shows that since 2006, the number of Catholic schools has decreased by 14 percent and the number of students attending Catholic school has decreased by 17.6 percent. Perhaps Teach for Christ can help reverse this trend. The name may ring a bell, as it bears resemblance to the existing program Teach for America. However, Teach for Christ, which will be...

This week on Radio Free Acton, we talk with Jim McGann (senior lecturer of International Studies at the Lauder Institute, director of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program and senior fellow, Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania) about the world of think tanks – what they are, what they do well, and where they can improve their effectiveness. Then RFA Chief Cultural Correspondent Bruce Edward Walker joins the show to lead a discussion on the latest...

Note: This is post #42 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. In petitive market, pany can’t control how much they charge for goods and services. So how do firms maximize profits when they don’t control prices? In this video by Marginal Revolution University, Alex Tabarrok defines profit, including how to calculate total revenue and total cost, and covers costs, variable costs, marginal revenue, and marginal cost. (If you find the pace of the videos too slow, I’d mend...

In April, the Trump administration provided a broad outline of proposed reforms, including simplifying tax brackets, eliminating the marriage penalty, and creating child care deductions. The National Catholic Register recently published an article on the reforms, focusing on its effect on the family. Rev. Robert Sirico, co-founder and president of the Acton Institute, provided his thoughts on Trump’s plan: “A refundable tax credit, instead of a direct subsidy from the government, is more in line with the principle of subsidiarity,”...

“Moneylending has been taboo for most of human history,” notes Alex Mayyasi. “So how did usury stop being a sin and e respectable finance?” Today, a banker listening to a theologian seems like a curiosity, a category error. But for most of history, this kind of dialogue was the norm. Hundreds of years ago, when modern finance arose in Europe, moneylenders moderated their behaviour in response to debates among the clergy about how to apply the Bible’s teachings to an...

Prior to the publication of John Maynard Keynes’ The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, balanced budgets reflected the received wisdom for governments. By making the case for debt spending in times of recession (and the virtually ignored case for restricting spending in times of growth), Keynes gave political leaders a license to abandon the requirement of balance. Now, they could spend beyond their means and still claim to be responsible. Declining purchasing power over time attests to the...

A vital fact lies buried in the recent IFS study on e inequality: the most effective way to alleviate poverty. This was true even though the IFS study, and UK government statistics, don’t actually measure poverty but rather inequality. Maybe it’s best to say the IFS study contains the secret to reducing both phenomena. Whichever metric one uses, according to the IFS report the most effective way to reduce that number is through work. The UK government defines “poverty” as...

An unusual debate – over chlorinated chickens, of all things – is showing how Brexit and free markets can lead the UK and the developing world to greater flourishing. The debate has been brewing for years. In the United States, chickens are decontaminated with chlorine. The EU banned spraying or washing poultry with chlorine in 1997, citing health concerns. Although these health concerns have since been put to rest, their lingering memory – and the quasi-immortality of government regulations –...

This is the third part in a series on how to read Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. Read theintroduction and follow the entire series here. Prior to delving into the text of Alexis Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, it behooves us to get some historical context so that we can understand his observations, analyses, and conclusions. Context also helps us grasp the significance of Tocqueville’s project, allowing us to see through his eyes. Think about historical context like you might...