Note: This is post #125 in a weekly video series on basic economics. When and why does the government might engage in expansionary fiscal policy? When does the government increase spending, or decrease taxes, bat a recession? In this video by Marginal Revolution University, Tyler Cowen examines some of the government’s options, from doing nothing to taking steps to increase thevelocity of moneyand thereby increase aggregate demand. (If you find the pace of the videos too slow, I’d mend watching...

At his campaign rally last night President Trump vowed that he’d make “America wealthy again.” But the taxes he’s imposed on Americans in the form of tariffs are making America poorer—both materially and spiritually. When Trump imposed tariffs on China last year I mentioned that in 2019 the tax would cost households to suffer losses equivalent to $2,357 per household (or $915 per person). Since then we’ve found that the tax increase may have other harmful effects, including causing a...

In the preamble to its constitution, the Industrial Workers of the World proclaimed that it would bring about socialism (which it dubbed “industrial democracy”) by “forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.” But can Christian rhetoric be hollowed out to make room for secular leftist principles? According to one observer in Poland, precisely such a program is taking place in Europe. And the leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski,...

The rise of board games is making headlines (just check out some of the stories here, here, here, here, and here). Despite massive disruption by online- and mobile-based gaming, many consumers seem to still enjoy the face-to-face interaction and experience of tabletop games. As the market responds, and as technology and globalization continue to open the playing field to petitors and genres, what might we learn about the prospects munity in an otherwise digital age? There are many theories about...

On this episode of Acton Line, Romanian author and public intellectual, Mihail Neamtu, joins the show to talk about what he calls the “ghost” of Marxism. What defines Marxism and what remnants of the ideology are we seeing today? After that, Daniel J. Mahoney, writer and professor of politics at Assumption College, speaks with Acton’s Director of Communications, John Couretas, about the legacy of the 20th century Russian writer, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn’s writings are said to have contributed greatly in...

Earlier today the Supreme Court issued its ruling in American Legion v. American Humanist Association—also known as the Bladensburg Cross case. The Court ruled that the 40-foot-tall stone and concrete “Peace Cross” memorial displayed on government-owned property in Bladensburg, Maryland outside Washington, DC does not violate the Establishment Clause. The Court said retaining established, religiously expressive monuments, symbols, and practices is quite different from erecting or adopting new ones. Here are six quotes from the ruling you should know about....

The 313 Conservative MPs held the second round of voting to elect the new leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister of the United Kingdom. Each of the six remaining candidates – Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Dominic Raab, Sajid Javid, and Rory Stewart – had to receive at least 33 votes to advance to the next round. The results, which were announced around 6 p.m. London time, were as follows: Johnson: 126;Hunt: 46;Gove: 41;Stewart: 37;Javid: 33; andRaab:...

A plurality of American Christians now believes that capitalism is at odds with “Christian values,” a trend that’s been panied by a range of political leaders and Religious-Left thinkers who promote the patibility of Christianity with expansive state control. Paired with our culture’s growing interest in “democratic socialism,” such arguments are especially worthy of reflection. In a new video, Russell Moore examines this debate, mon plaints against capitalism and asking, “Is socialism consistent with a Christian view of reality?” While...

Proponents of a national health care system often describe the program as “all-inclusive.” However, a Canadian court ruling and a new U.S. congressional report show that single-payer health care could permanently exclude faithful Christians. Health care workers in Canada’s national health service must participate in abortion and physician-assisted suicide because they receive government funding, a Canadian provincial court ruled. Wesley J. Smith highlighted the Canadian case at National Review. Physicians argued in court that their constitutional right to conscience is...

Note:This article is part of the ‘Principles Project,’ a list of principles, axioms, and beliefs that undergirda Christian view of economics, liberty, and virtue. Clickhereto read the introduction and other posts in this series. The Principle: #21A – National debt is almost always an unjust form of an intergenerational wealth transfer. The Definitions: National Debt — The federal or national debt is the net accumulation of the federal government’s annual budget deficits; the total amount of money that the U.S....