A report on the global impact of think tanks has ranked the Acton Institute among the world’s most influential thought leaders. The University of Pennsylvania released its “2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report” last Friday. This year, the annual report – which was “designed to identify and recognize centers of excellence in all the major areas of public policy research” – opened the ratings to all 8,248 think tanks in its database. The report has recognized the Acton...

In many countries, debates we had 40 years ago are starting to be rehashed: can one be both a Catholic and a classical liberal? It’s good to remember some of the arguments that liberal Catholics used then to justify their positions. The Spanish priest Enrique Menéndez Ureña, SJ (1939-2014) started to work on this topic in the late 70s and early 80s. His work culminated in the book The Myth of Socialist Christianity, first published in 1981 as El Mito...

In early January, Samuel Gregg explained at Law & Liberty how economic policies driven by nationalist protectionism have, in many cases, eventually resulted in economic loss. Generally, protectionist policies are implemented in order to protect workers and industries, however, they also have the effect of throwing market incentives off balance. When a nation employing protectionist policies disincentivizes other countries from importing or exporting parative advantage in that nation’s industries is “dulled,” argues Gregg. “The more you protect the industry, the...

The late Sir Roger Scruton has been given many titles since his death on January 12. He’s been hailed as the “greatest conservative thinker of our age,” Britain’s “intellectual dissident” and beauty’s best modern defender. For Samuel Gregg, he will be forever remembered “as a gentle Knight of the Realm, but above all a fearless Knight of the West.” Writing at Law & Liberty, Gregg recalls Scruton’s fearlessness in the face of harassment endured for decades. Scruton was an unapologetic...

In the immediate aftermath of the historic vote for Brexit, many cheered Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, hailing it as a win for freedom, democracy, and subsidiarity. Yet others were quick to claim the move was driven only by populist fear and an inward-looking protectionism. In the years since, however, it has became readily apparent that possibilities for freer trade do, indeed, abound, with many of the country’s pro-Brexit leaders continuing to champion free and open global exchange....

President Donald Trump delivered the 2020 State of the Union address on Tuesday night, the ninety-seventh to be given in person and the third of his presidency. In addition to touting a booming economy and highlighting the heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen and other groundbreaking Americans, the president attacked socialism, in the U.S. and abroad, at least five times. Here are the ways President Trump opposed socialism or its premises during the 2020 State of the Union address: 1. “Socialism...

Since 2015, I have spent more time than I could ever have imagined debating the issue of whether free markets are more optimal for the United States (or any other country) than the various policies usually grouped together under the phrase “economic nationalism.” It’s a discussion that touches on questions ranging from the place of economics in determining policy to issues of foreign policy (most particularly, America’s relationship with China) and the economic role of the state. It also has...

In cultivating a Christian ethic of economic generosity, we tend to focus heavily on traditional acts of charity—donating our dollars, volunteering our time, and so on. Likewise, in heeding Jesus’ call in Matthew 25 to serve the “least of these,” we often think through the lens of one-way material transfers. Yet throughout the Biblical story, we also see generosity manifest in the context of relationship. Sacrifice is paired with partnership, with giving finding much of its meaning in the receiving....

Central to the mission of the Acton Institute is educating people of faith about the connections that exist between religious life and economic thinking. Abraham Kuyper helped lay the groundwork for this mission by establishing why it’s important for Christians to be involved in the public square. Kuyper was a Dutch politician and a Reformed theologian during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During his career, he wrote many books about theology, culture, business, and so much more, and...

(Feb. 12, 2020) Update: American Factory wins an Oscar for best feature documentary. In accepting the award, co-director Julia Reichert told attendees at the awards ceremony, “We believe that things will get better when workers of the world unite.” Where have we heard that before? Meanwhile, things are not getting better for the UAW. The Flint Journal reported yesterday that, “Former Flint UAW boss used bribes to buy homes, relative’s plastic surgery, feds say.” The newspaper cited a federal sentencing...