On National Review Online, Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg reflects on President Obama’s State of the Union address last night, and flags the “reality-denial” that is expressed by “a few token references to free enterprise and rewarding individual initiative (to reassure us we’re still living in America instead of just another declining European social democracy).” More: Judging from the president’s remarks, you’d never guess we just had a negative quarter of economic growth; or that the unemployment rate just ticked...

During the State of the Union address President Obama suggested that having a minium wage was a moral issue. In the speech he said: Even with the tax relief we’ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong. That’s why, since the last time this Congress raised the minimum wage, nineteen states have chosen to bump theirs even higher. The President believes that it is a moral...

In “The Moral Meanings of Markets,” in the latest issue of the Journal of Markets & Morality, Ryan Langrill and Virgil Henry Storr argue that markets ought to be understood and defended not simply as amoral, or merely moral, but as robustly moral spaces. In exploring the contention that markets reward virtues besides prudence, Langrill and Storr illustrate how market exchanges tend to promote civility and politeness. “It makes sense for profit-seeking businessmen to invest in goodwill and good customer...

Near the beginning of his State of the Union address last night, President Obama said, “. . . and we can say with renewed confidence that the State of our Union is stronger.” If you were surprised to hear that the union is “strong” then this was probably the first time you’ve heard a State of the Union address. Over the last hundred years presidents have described the State of the Union (SOTU) in various ways—Good (Truman), Sound (Carter), Not...

It was William F. Buckley who said “conservatism takes into account reality.” Reality has e the giant political obstacle for conservatives when es to governing, campaigning, and political messaging. It seems too many Americans still love their freedoms but eschew many of the responsibilities e with it. That’s the crisis we face, the lack of responsibility and our collective grasp on reality. In last night’s State of the Union Address, President Obama predictably fatigued those looking for real cuts, a...

Seize the Day with Gus Lloyd on SiriusXM’s the Catholic Channel interviewed Kishore Jayabalan, director of the Acton Institute in Rome,regarding Pope Benedict XVI’s unexpected resignation. Jayabalan discussed the mood in the Rome, the shock of the timing, and Pope Benedict XVI’s legacy. Listen to the full interview here: [audio: ...

Earlier this week at the Heritage Foundation, Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg argued that if our elected leaders don’t find the courage to reform the economy and government spending soon, the U.S. could find itself in the same terrible economic situation as many European countries do today. Gregg’s lecture will be broadcast this weekend on CSPAN 2 Book TV at 8:45pm EST on Saturday and at 4:45pm EST on Sunday, February 17. ...

Georgene Rice recently interviewed Samuel Gregg about his latest book, ing Europe: Economic Decline, Culture, and How America can Avoid a European Future. Her show airs on KDPQ FM in Portland, Oregon. Rice says that ing Europe is “sobering, but not hopeless.” She says that it Exposes the true scope of the crisis gripping our transatlantic cousins: the crush of economic debt, governments consuming close to 50 percent of the economy, high taxation, sharply aging populations, crony capitalism, and staggeringly...

If you missed President Obama’s State of the Union address last night, here is the transcript in the form of a word cloud. Here is the Republican response given by Sen. Marco Rubio. And here is the Tea Party response by Sen. Rand Paul: Note: The size of a word in the graphic is proportional to the number of times the word appears in the speech. ...

The Center for Faith and Work at LeTourneau University recently profiled Camcraft, a Christian-run manufacturing business whose owners, the Bertsche family, seek to steward their business according to God’s purposes. “By using Biblical principles to run pany,” says Bern Bertsche, “not only is that God’s way, but it’s a very effective way to run a business.” Watch the video below: Camcraft orients itself around a broader mission to(1) to glorify God, (2) be a great place to work, (3) be...