Acton’s Director of Research, Samuel Gregg, recently wrote a special report, Finally, a Conservative Leader over at The American Spectator. Last year, a reporter asked Gregg who the current “outstanding center-right head of government” is. He responded that Margaret Thatcher was his first thought, though Australian Prime Minister “Tony Abbott is the real thing like no one since Margaret Thatcher.” He goes on, “thus far Abbott has matched his open adherence to distinctly conservative convictions by implementing policies that reflect...

A few weeks ago I asked why natural law arguments more persuasive. Natural law advocates intend for such argument to persuade both believers and non-believers, so how do they account for the relative ineffectualness of such arguments? Why don’t more people find them to be persuasive? In response to my question (as well as questions and criticisms from others), Sherif Girgis proffered a defense and explanation: Yes. Over the last few years, my coauthors and I have heard from many...

It is no stretch to say that Michael Novak is a towering figure in 20th century Catholic social thought. His 1982 seminal work, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, influenced thinkers in the U.S., Latin America and Soviet-controlled countries. George Weigel has summed up Novak’s vocation and contribution to Catholic social teaching, economic thought and moral culture in an article at City Journal. Weigel begins by stating that Novak’s work wasn’t simple: Novak has applied his philosophical and theological skills to...

What does the Acton University experience have to offer a newly-graduated college student? Thomas Wheeler, from Minnesota, attended AU 2013 on mendation from his dad. In this podcast, Wheeler talks about how the message of human dignity that he heard at Acton University has informed his life choices. Enjoy the discussion. ...

This morning the federal government released the latest jobs report. You may have noticed confusing headlines andreporting about the data, such as this story from NPR, “Job Growth Less Than Expected, But Unemployment Hits 5-Year Low.” What does that mean? Is that bad news mixed with good news?How should we interpret the jobs report? Here’s what you need to know to understand what the job report is, what it tells us, and what it means for the economy: What is...

In the book A Conflict Of Visions, Thomas Sowell explains that progressives look for the cause of crime because they believe human beings to be essentially good and not prone to self-interest or moral failings. For progressives, “It is hard to understand how anyone mit a terrible crime without some special cause at work, if only blindness,” observes Sowell. Progressives “see human nature as itself adverse to crime, and society as undermining this natural aversion through its own injustices, insensitivities,...

In the editor’s notes of the new issue of Religion & Liberty, I mentioned Time magazine’s iconic 1964 photo spread “War on Poverty: Portraits From an Appalachian Battleground.” Appalachia was a major target of America’s war on poverty. Today many of those same problems persist despite the steady stream of federal dollars. Unfortunately, unintended consequences from government spending, has expanded many of the problems, as Kevin D. Williamson covered so well in the piece “The White Ghetto” for National Review....

The National Prayer Breakfast, a D.C.-event going back to 1953, was held this morning. The keynote was USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, and President Obama added remarks. Obama chose to focus on religious freedom, calling it a matter of “national security,” menting that he was looking forward to his trip to the Vatican next month to meet with Pope Francis. Obama also said, Yet even as our faith sustains us, it’s also clear that around the world freedom of religion is...

During a meeting in a restaurant with two officials from the Ford Administration — Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld — a young economist sketched a curve on a napkin to illustrate an argument he was making. Arthur Laffer was explaining to the policymakers the concept of taxable e elasticity—i.e., taxable e will change in response to changes in the rate of taxation. By 1974, the idea was already ancient. Ibn Khaldun, a 14th century Muslim philosopher, wrote in his work...

Annette Gabbedy is a business ownerand expert designer andgoldsmith. She was also born without fingers, a disposition many might consider a “disability,” particularly in her line of work. Yet, as you’ll see in the following video, having created and traded her wares for 23 years, Gabbedy sees no reason for this to inhibit her creativity and contribution to society. As Gabbedy explains: I tend to really look at people with fingers and think: Well, how can you manage with fingers,...