Conversations about economic development often gravitate toward such topics as monetary policy, trade regulation, tax structures, infrastructure, etc. These are critical pieces of the puzzle indeed, but there exist even more ponents of prosperity that are often skipped over. In our interview with Samuel Gregg, director of research at the Acton Institute, he lists a few of the foundational elements of growth: Rule of law is essential if you want to have a functioning economy. You cannot have a functioning...

Christians are frequently accused of conflating politics and religion. And not surprisingly, Christians like me are often frustrated by such claims. Whenever I hear such slurs my first inclination is to push back by asking who exactly can rightfully be accused of such confusion. Can they name even one person who does that? And then I remember, “Oh yeah, there’s Jim Wallis.” In the 2004 presidential election season, Wallis’ group, Sojourners, put out a bumper sticker with these words: “God...

You may — alright, so you definitely will — need a tab with Google open to be able to look up all the big words he uses in his penetrating prose, but George Gilder is a masterful writer and inspiring advocate for entrepreneurial activity. I’ve been reading through the revised-and-updated edition of Wealth and Poverty this past week and I am astounded all over again at the unrelenting, unapologetic way he articulates the case for free enterprise, limited government, and...

2013 Novak Award recipient David P. Deavel, Ph.D., will illuminate John Henry Cardinal Newman’s contributions to economic liberty in the ing 13th annual Calihan Lecture. The lecture will take place on October 30, 2013 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., where the 2013 Novak Award will be presented by Rev. Robert A. Sirico, president and co-founder of the Acton Institute. Much of Deavel’s research and writing has been on topics related to the Catholic intellectual tradition,...

Today at Public Discourse, I explore the dubious connection between educational attainment and upward e mobility, arguing instead that a focus on cultivating social capital would be far more effective than the conventional wisdom: “Stay out of trouble and stay in school.” Staying out of trouble is still a good idea, but staying in school — when es to higher education — is ing less and less effective on its own at predicting economic improvement. In addition, while I believe...

Acting on behalf of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines have issued a letter to the US House of Representatives. The bishops state that they wish to “address the moral and human dimensions of the ongoing federal budget debate,’ saying that the choices facing American politicians have a moral dimension, as well as political and economic ones. The...

Sally C. Pipes, president of the Pacific Research Institute, is interviewed at National Review regarding her new book, The Cure For Obamacare. NRO’s Kathryn Jean Lopez interviews Pipes about what Obamacare means for the US, and whether or not there is a better way. KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ: What’s the best answer to the question of what Obamacare means for the life of America? SALLY C. PIPES: Obamacare has just celebrated its three-and-a-half-year anniversary. This is the federal government’s largest entitlement...

Mike Coyner, who is the Bishop of the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church, penned a thoughtful essay reflecting on the dysfunction in our federal government. His main point: It’s our fault and our defective culture is the engineer of the political rot. Coyner declared: All of the traits in Washington that we decry are actually an outgrowth of the messed-up values in our whole culture. plain about over-spending by Congress, but the average American household is spending 103%...