In battling poverty in the developing world, the West is often consumed in debates about foreign aid. Yet many of the core problems stem from more basic lack of access to the pond and opportunities create, participate, and collaborate therein.Last spring, in an effort to address those problems, 44 African leaders and government officials agreed to create theAfrican Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA), seeking to improve access to markets and bolster intra-Africa trading relationships across the continent. The participating countries have...

After much anticipation, Amazon announced yesterday that it will open its new headquarters, HQ2, in two locations: Queens, New York, and Crystal City, Virginia. It will also open a third “Operations Center of Excellence” in Nashville. Controversy attended the announcement, as all three cities promised pany subsidies and tax incentives topping $2.2 billion. New York pledged $1.525 billion between tax incentives and grants. Virginia and Arlington agreed to an $800 million package, more than half-a-billion of it in cash grants....

Fr. Robert Sirico presented the Acton Institute’s 2018 Novak Award to Brazilian professor Lucas G. Freire on Monday, November 5. Freire’s acceptance speech offered reflections on the “idolatrous distortions” evidenced in modern public discourse by placing too much trust in the state, and too little faith in markets and individuals. He then presented insights from the Reformed tradition as expressed by Abraham Kuyper. Fr. Sirico personally handed Freire – an assistant professor at Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo, Brazil,...

“Work: Theological Foundations and Practical Implications”presents a thoughtful prehensive guide to the intersection of theology and work. The text’s contributors are made up of scholars from a variety of studies, including economics, church history, and theology, among others, who offer unique perspectives on work. In the introduction, editors R. Keith Loftin and Acton’s Director of Program Outreach, Trey Dimsdale, ask the question, “Why would anyone remain interested or indeed e interested in a religion that ignores nine-tenths of their life?”...

Is participating in government a duty or a sin? When Christians have asked how they should engage the public square, Protestant leaders’ responses have run the gamut plete separation (because “this world is not my home”) to the belief that government service is “the most sacred, and by far the most honorable, of all stations in mortal life.” How should Bible-believing Christians look at peting views? Rev. Richard Turnbull, Ph.D. analyzed four historic teachings about the Christian’s role in public...

Despite the negative stereotypes, says Robert Woodberry, missionaries have effectively improved health, education, economic development, and political representation around the world—seemingly more effectively than government aid and secular NGOs: On average, people from countries that had one more Protestant missionary per 10,000 inhabitants 90 years ago currently have 1.5 years more education and 1.3 years more life expectancy. Similarly, for each additional year of Protestant mission activity, countries have $25.72 more GDP per capita on average. Even after rigorous attempts...

As we survey the modern economy, individual ownership appears to be on the demise. We see an increasing preference for access over ownership and collaborative consumption,from the streaming- and cloud-centric features of the latest technology to the increasingly “share-happy” habits of American consumers amid a burgeoning “gig economy.” On the surface, such a shift would seem to bring endless benefits: more options, more flexibility, better quality, cheaper prices, fewer risks, and (presumably) more freedom. Yet despite such benefits, a void...

Note: This is post #101 in a weekly video series on basic economics. As we saw in the last video, some forms of unemployment—such as short-term, frictional unemployment—can indicate a healthy, growing economy. But what about persistent, long-term unemployment? When a large percentage of those who are considered unemployed have been without a job for a long period of time and this has been true for many years, it’s considered structural unemployment. Structural unemployment can result from shocks to an...

“What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors,” says C.S. Lewis, “was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt e nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God...

Today is the official observance of Veterans Day, a U.S. public holiday set aside to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the armed forces both in wartime or peacetime. (Because the federal holiday falls on Sunday this year, the official observance is moved to Monday.) Here are five facts you should know about veterans in the United States: 1. The Veteran’s Administration estimates there are currently 19,998,799 living veterans (18,115,951 men and 1,882,848 women). Out of that...