Last week marked the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of the megahit TV show Seinfeld. During its reign the series was often described as “a show about nothing.” But in reality it was a show about a lot of things, including logic and truth. “There is more logic in humor than in anything else” said edian Victor Borge, “Because, you see, humor is truth.” Comedians aren’t often known for their critical thinking skills and Mr. Spock—the Vulcan embodiment of cool...

Note: This is post #128 in a weekly video series on basic economics. Effective fiscal policy has to be timely, targeted, and temporary. But how the central bank, businesses, and consumers respond to fiscal policy also plays a role in how effective it is, says economist Alex Tabarrok. In this video by Marginal Revolution University, Alex Tabarrok considers how about how businesses and consumers might respond to expansionary fiscal policy. (If you find the pace of the videos too slow,...

On Monday, the leadership of the anti-austerity populism passed definitively to Matteo Salvini of Italy, as Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in as the prime minister of Greece. Mitsotakis, the son of former Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis, displaced Alexis Tsipras of the left-wing ruling party, Syriza (literally “the Coalition of the Left”), on a platform of lower taxes, deregulation, and unleashing the free market. Mitsotakis’ center-right New Democracy Party won a landslide in Sunday’s elections, securing an outright majority of 158...

The newest season of Netflix’s sci-fi horror series Stranger Things released on July 4, and I’m happy to report that season 3 has a new hero, and her name is Erica. (This post focuses entirely on episode 4 of the new season, so anyone who hasn’t watched up to that point yet should beware of spoilers.) Erica is the younger sister of Lucas, one of the four D&D-playing boys at the center of the series. This isn’t her first appearance...

In the past few weeks, democratic presidential hopefuls outlined e inequality fixes anywhere from $1,000 per month basic e to free college and single payer healthcare. While many operate on the assumption that e equality results in a fair economic system, I do not. A fair economic system allows for a level of e inequality, and policies that force e equality not only create economic havoc but are not even biblically required. And religion, invoked by both Pete Buttigieg and...

The Democratic presidential candidates are in agreement on a proposal to eliminate 1.3 million jobs nationwide. That’s not the way they would frame the issue, of course. Saying that you will eliminate over a million jobs held by the poorest people in America is not exactly a winning message. Instead, they frame it as a pay increase—a doubling of the federal hourly minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2025. Will Americans be fooled? The Congressional Budget Office(CBO), an independent,...

Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and munities. Conversely, not having a job can adversely affect spiritual and psychological well-being of individuals and families. Because unemployment is a spiritual problem, Christians in America need to understand and be aware of the monthly data on employment. Each month highlight thelatest numberswe need to know...

The James Wilson Institute’s Deputy Director Garrett Snedeker and intern Jake Rinear recently conducted an interview with Samuel Gregg, director of research at the Acton Institute, about his new book “Reason, Faith, and the Struggle for Western Civilization.” Gregg answered questions pertaining to a variety of topics such as religious liberty, freedom, natural law, enlightenment ideas, the reintegration of faith and reason and others, many of which Gregg expands upon in his book. Gregg began by discussing the influence of...

On June 19, President Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to economist Arthur Laffer, noted as a proponent of supply-side economics and famous for the concept of the “Laffer curve,” which states that taxes will not increase revenue if they rise beyond a certain level. Alejandro Chafuen, Acton’s Managing Director, ments today in Forbes on Laffer and his award. He also adds a wealth of historical precedent, pointing out that Laffer’s ideas have roots in many thinkers of centuries...

The latest addition the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is Spider-Man: Far from Home, which brings an end to Phase 3. In this installment, we have an intriguing spin on the standard superhero motif of vocation and responsibility. This theme is perhaps best captured in the iconic wisdom offered by Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, “With great es great responsibility.” A driving force of Spider-Man: Far from Home is the question whether great power ever gets to enjoy a vacation. Does great...