Honoré Daumier (French, 1808 – 1879 ), Alex. Ch. Henri de Tocqueville, 1849, lithograph, Rosenwald Collection Samuel Gregg, research director at the Acton Institute, recently published areview onthe new translation ofAlexis de Tocqueville’sRecollections: The French Revolution of 1848 and Its Aftermathin which Tocqueville, the “quintessential man of theory,” gets dirty aboutthepolitics of the French Revolution. Why would the man whowrote bothDemocracy in America(1835, 1840) andThe Old Regime and the Revolution(1856) write an explicit reflectionon hispolitical interactions? To answer, Gregg directly...

Today, voters across the UK wentto the polls to elect Members of Parliament in the snap election called on April 18. American observers and people of faith should care about the results, because they could affect the transatlantic alliance in numerous ways. First, the election could deepen, or chill, the “special relationship” between the United States and the UK. Prime Minister Theresa May and President Donald Trump have established a cordial relationship and share a symbiotic goal. May seeks the...

When es to climate change, economists can’t predict the future, says Anne Rathbone Bradley in this week’s Acton Commentary. But economic thinking is a roadmap for prudence and in terms of environmental policy, that’s precisely what we need. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement just days ago, provoking a brouhaha over environmental policy. For those who are genuinely concerned about environmental stewardship, we can in fact do better without the UN-sponsored framework. We can...

On Sunday, I attended the wedding of a wonderful young couple I’ve known most of their lives. (Weddings in the Orthodox Church are usually held on Sundays, rather than Saturdays, so that the newlyweds will not be tempted to begin their married life by skipping church.) While I’ve had the joy of performing the marriage ceremony, this time as I stood among the friends and well-wishers, a single sentence stood out to me. In the translation of the ceremony used...

President Trump has designated this week as “Infrastructure Week,” a time dedicated to “addressing America’s crumbling infrastructure.” Here are five facts you should know about America’s infrastructure. 1. The Federal government has defined infrastructure as the framework of interdependent networks and prising identifiable industries, institutions (including people and procedures), and distribution capabilities that provide a reliable flow of products and services essential to the defense and economic security of the United States, the smooth functioning of governments at all levels,...

The UK’s 2017 general election: What you need to know. The future of UK politics, Brexit negotiations, and transatlantic values has been thrust into uncertainty following the UK snap election on Thursday night. The hung Parliament will require a coalition, but the Conservative Party’s most likely partner will seek concessions on Brexit and possibly on social issues. Here are the facts you need to know: Theresa May lost seats but will remain prime minister – for now. Prime Minister Theresa...

Note: This is post #20 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere. Cabinet position:Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Department: Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Current Director:Dan Coats Department Mission:“The core mission of the ODNI is to lead the IC in intelligence integration, forging munity that delivers the most insightful intelligence possible. That means effectively operating as one team: synchronizing collection, analysis and counterintelligence...

In a recent visit to a steel factory in Italy, Pope Francis said, “One sickness of the economy is the gradual transformation of entrepreneurs into speculators.” “The speculator doesn’t love his business, doesn’t love the workers, but only sees the business and workers as the means to make profit,” the pontiff added. But the pope doesn’t seem to understand what speculators do, says Luanne Zurlo. What Francis blames speculators for doing, says Zurlo, is not speculating but rather engaging in...

On Friday, May 27, Jeremy Joseph Christian accosted a Muslim woman, then stabbed three men in Portland. Two have died – one a 23-year-old, the other a veteran and father of four. The third victim’s injury reportedly missed being fatal by one millimeter. This morning at his arraignment, the grand jury returned a 15-count indictment that could grow longer – and could include the death penalty. Some are surprised to learn that this white supremacist supports Bernie Sanders, opposes the...

This week the U.S. Senate held a hearing in which an explosive revelation was made that threatens to undermine the Constitution. And no, I’m not talking about the Comey hearing (that was rather a dud). I’m referring to the confirmation hearing for the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. You probably didn’t hear much about that hearing, or the nominee, Russel Vought. And you likely wouldn’t have heard about it still if Bernie Sanders hadn’t decided to...