In 1920, millions of American women exercised their right to vote for the first time. It was the culmination of decades of work by women from varying backgrounds and just as varied goals. However, they all shared a vision that women should be part of the political process in the United States. One woman was Susan B. Anthony. Described passionate and having a keen mind, she was a fierce abolitionist and led the legal crusade to allow women to keep...

In the Nov/Dec issue of Touchstone, I have a piece on the issue of whether government jobs can act as a lever for opportunity and social mobility. My answer is a highly qualified “yes” with a number of cultural caveats. Love to get reactions from the munity. The good people at Touchstone published this one online. You can read it here. Here’s a teaser: The question is whether the modern liberal approach to improving the quality of citizens’ lives by...

Encyclopedia Entry: “Arts” Tyler Cowen. The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. 2d ed. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2007. General economic principles govern the arts. Most important, artists use scarce means to achieve ends—and therefore recognize trade-offs, the defining aspects of economic behavior. Also, many other economic aspects of the arts make the arts similar to the more typical goods and services that economists analyze. Article: “Freedom — A Suggested Analysis” Lon L. Fuller. “Freedom — A Suggested Analysis.” Harvard Law Review 68,...

Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson says everyone seems to understand that the private sector creates jobs. Everyone, that is, except the New York Times. Samuelson calls the Times’ decree of government job creation “simplistic” and that it has a “flat-earth quality”. He explains that if the government adds jobs – expands government – es at taxpayer expense. But if the people whose money is taken via taxation or borrowing had kept the money, they would have spent most or all...

For next spring’s issue of the Journal of Markets & Morality, we’ve planned a special issue devoted to the theme “Integral Human Development,” guest edited by Peter Heslam and Manfred Spieker. The deadline for submissions is December 1, a month away as of today. Details about submission procedures can be found on the JMM website. Check out the full CFP at the site as well, and consider the following from Caritas in Veritate: In the present social and cultural context,...

In an interview for Acton’s Religion & Liberty quarterly, the Russian Orthodox bishop in charge of external affairs for the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Volokolamsk, warned that that the situation for the Christian population of Syria has deteriorated to an alarming degree. pared the situation today, after almost two years of fighting in Syria, as analogous to Iraq, which saw a virtual depopulation of Christians following the U.S. invasion in 2003. The Russian Orthodox Church has been among...

In The New Republic, historian Jackson Lears explores the transition from munitarianism to 20-century capitalist boosterism in Mormon culture: The assumption behind much of the “Mormon moment” chatter is that Mormons are especially suited for success in the brave new world of unregulated capital: tanned, rested, and ready. Their abstention from alcohol and caffeine keeps them healthy. Their self-discipline, stemming from missionary work and a strict code of personal morality, strengthens their capacity pete in a global marketplace. Their attachment...

According to an article from the Chicago Tribune, U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland, in a ruling late Wednesday, temporarily blocked the government from forcing the owner of Weingartz Supply Company to include contraception in its health coverage of employees. The ruling only affects pany’s proprietor … but it opens the door for other firms to seek relief on religious grounds. Read the story: here. Tune in tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 2, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, for a free discussion, “From a...

This morning, Autocam Corp. Chief Executive Officer John C. Kennedy joined us on AU Online to give a free presentation on ObamaCare, the HHS mandate, and the practical implications of this legislation from his perspective as a Roman Catholic businessman. His presentation was spot on and spurred some good questions from attendees. But why take my word for it? If you didn’t attend this morning’s session, you still have the chance to enroll for free to listen to a recording...

Based on Nicholas Eberstadt’s book, A Nation of Takers, this Seussian video depicts the dangerous dependency of entitlements and the importance of liberty. (Via: Values & Capitalism) ...