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...

“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...

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...

Historically, arguments for American free trade have often been criticized or met with skepticism. However, what would happen if these arguments were reframed to suggest the economic and political benefits free trade can offer? In a recent book review for Law and Liberty, Samuel Gregg seeks to answer this question and present others as he engages Pierre Lemieux’s book “What’s Wrong with Protectionism.” In “What’s Wrong with Protectionism” Lemieux presents several arguments for free trade that can be used in...

Once we get beyond the myths surrounding the long presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, we soon recognize that one of FDR’s successes was to establish a myriad of symbols that captured the imagination of world politics. Among one of the most enduring symbols is the “first 100 days” of an administration as a milestone of its achievements. “100 days” is basically an arbitrary number. For better or worse, however, it has e the rule by which many evaluate whether an...

Today is the hundredth anniversary of the birthday of Billy Graham. Although he travelled the world as “God’s Ambassador,” the humble evangelist from North Carolina had a special affection for his own country. In honor of his birthday, here are six quotes by Graham on freedom and love of country: On the sacrifices of veterans: “The freedoms we enjoy, the freedoms we take so much for granted, the freedoms we so often trifle with were bought not by the gold...

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...

Democratic socialism is on the rise in America, inspired by Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential run and recent midterm victories by outspoken advocates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. But while the movement emphasizes “popular” vs. “state” control, glazing socialist rhetoric with democratic munitarian vocabulary, how different is the movement from socialist manifestations of the past? What might it portend for the future of the American economy and broader society? In a new report, “The Opportunity Costs of Socialism,”the Trump...

Last year, in partnership with the Acton Institute, Lexham Press releasedPro Rege, Vol. 2: Living Under Christ the King, the second in a three-volume series on the lordship of Christ (find Volume 1here) by Abraham Kuyper. At First Things, the esteemed evangelical ethicist Oliver O’Donovan reviews the first two volumes and explains why the Dutch theologian and statesman is still relevant today: Kuyper is at his most persuasive when he lays out his vision of the moral solidarity of the...

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,...