Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Acton Occasional Series

September 27, 2016

Explainer: What you should know about NAFTA

In last night’s presidential debate, Donald Trump said that NAFTA was the worst trade deal the U.S. has ever signed, and that it continues to kill American jobs. Here is what you should know about the perennially controversial trade agreement. Continue Reading...
September 27, 2016

How to understand the supply curve

Note: This is the third post in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. The supply curve seems like an easy enough concept to understand: it’s a graphic representation of the relationship between the quantity of product that a seller is willing and able to supply at a particular price. Continue Reading...
September 22, 2016

What Christians should know about fractional reserve banking

Note: This is the latest entry in the Acton blog series, “What Christians Should Know About Economics.” For other entries in the series see this post. The Term: Fractional Reserve Banking What it Means: Understanding fractional reserve banking is easier if we separate what it is (which is rather simple to explain) and the effects the system produces (which is slightly more complicated). Continue Reading...
September 20, 2016

How to understand the demand curve

Note: This is the second post in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. To demonstrate how much of a good or service people are willing to buy at different prices, economists often use a graph called the demand curve. Continue Reading...
September 14, 2016

7 Figures: Income and poverty in the U.S.

Yesterday the U.S. Census Bureau released its latest report on income and poverty in the United States. Here are seven figures from the report you should know about: 1. Real median household income increased 5.2 percent between 2014 and 2015—from $53,700 to $56,500. Continue Reading...
September 02, 2016

5 facts about Mother Teresa

On Sunday Pope Francis will declare Blessed Teresa of Kolkata — Mother Teresa — a saint at a canonization service to be held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Continue Reading...