From the ancient Greeks and Romans – from Heraclitus and Polybius to Livy – Western civilization came to accept the idea that all governments, but especially free ones, go through distinct organic and biological stages. They are born, they grow old and corrupt, and they die. Many, such as Livy, focused on the death aspect of this cycle, arguing that Rome had been declining from its very origins. In looking at the history of Rome, he wrote, “I would have...

I was honored to be a guest on the Faithful Economics podcast, sponsored by the Association of Christian Economists (which also publishes the journal Faith & Economics). I joined host Steven McMullen of Hope College to talk about the dialogue between theology and economics. Here’s a description of the episode, along with some links for further reading: This episode features a conversation with Jordan Ballor, a senior research fellow at the Acton Institute. We take a deep dive into the...

Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the UK and a member of the House of Lords, passed away early on the morning of Saturday, November 7, 2020, following his third bout with cancer. He was 72 years old. Rabbi Sacks, who was knighted in 2005, authored more than two dozen books and recorded the “Thought for the Day” broadcast on BBC’s Radio 4. The rabbi, who won the 2016 Templeton Prize, was buried on Sunday according to...

Over the past decade, ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft have led a transformative wave of gig-economy disruption, allowing drivers to work independently from taxi panies and the unions and bureaucracies that control them. It’s an inspiring story of bottom-up innovation and human empowerment in the face of entrenched interests and outdated laws. And in our increasingly technological and globalized age, it’s a story that continues to spread across countless industries and contexts. In a short film from Dignity Unbound,...

Whatever the e of the 2020 presidential race, liberty won numerous victories – and suffered a handful of setbacks – in state referendums nationwide. Voters in both “blue” and “red” states endorsed policies to advance individual initiative, limit government overreach, and establish equal justice under the law. However, they also voted for higher taxes on tobacco and a $15-an-hour minimum wage. Here is a state-by-state look at several of the most important results. California: The nation’s most populous state decided...

Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks recently passed away from cancer at the age of pleting a rich life and establishing a legacy as one of Judaism’s leading public intellectuals. As former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and a member of the House of Lords, Sacks had a unique ability to weave together Jewish insights across a range of intersecting areas – from philosophy and theology to economics and politics – leading to a distinctive moral witness amid the rise of...

In January 1862, Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became America’s greatest sociopolitical prophet of the nineteenth century, declared that America was facing Armageddon. “The fate of the greatest of all Modern Republics trembles in the balance.” God was in control of the nations, and America was particularly a subject of His providence. “We are taught as with the emphasis of an earthquake,” Douglass told his listeners at Philadelphia’s National Hall, “that nations, not less than individuals, are subjects of...

With 48 hours to go before the 2020 election, the Biden campaign unveiled a rare, cogent glimpse into its philosophy and plans should it prevail. Naturally, it did e from Joe Biden but from an animated video narrated by Kamala Harris titled “Equality vs. Equity.” The ticket made the unusual decision to close its campaign by taking a firm stance against equality. On Sunday, Harris tweeted out a video showing a white mountain climber beginning well above a black mountain...

The Acton Institute’s Mini-Grants on Free Market Economics: Research & Teachingprogram continues for the ing 2021 academic year, and the applicationis now live. This grant program is intended to enhance the effectiveness of research and teaching about market economics for faculty at colleges, universities, and seminaries in the United States and Canada. With this progam’s minimal application requirements and straightforward application process, there is plenty of time to prepare your application and apply online by the March 31, 2021, deadline....

This election is the final proof we didn’t need that the Republican Party of 2020 is truly the party of Donald Trump. He remade the party in imago Trumpi. As a result of his ascent within the party, many conservative ideas are ideologically homeless. Though Trump continues to cite legal challenges, Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States. This will undeniably change Republican pared to the last four years. But instead of mourning Trump’s loss, conservatives...