January 2017 Archives

January 26, 2017

5 facts about human trafficking

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time when “we resolve to shine a light on every dark corner where human trafficking still threatens the basic rights and freedoms of others.” Continue Reading...

January 25, 2017

Clobbering free speech with the Constitution

“When it’s too late to intimidate, it’s never too late to retaliate,” says Bruce Edward Walker in this week’s Acton Commentary. It was in 2010 that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decided Citizens United by a 5-4 vote. Continue Reading...

January 25, 2017

Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Secretary of State

Note: This is the second in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introduction here. Cabinet position: Secretary of State Department: U.S. Continue Reading...

January 25, 2017

Radio Free Acton: Avik Roy on how to transcend Obamacare

On this edition of Radio Free Acton, we’re joined by Avik Roy, Opinion Editor at Forbes magazine and the founder and president of The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity. He’s been an insightful critic of the health care reform process in the US since Congress began debating the legislation that we now know as Obamacare in 2009. Continue Reading...

January 24, 2017

Lessons from India’s ‘private city’

Given the acceleration of urbanization around the world, many are wondering how local governments and city planners will keep up with the pace. While advocates of free markets routinely argue for fewer top-down restrictions and more privatization of local services, others argue for increased controls and more advanced central planning. Continue Reading...

January 24, 2017

5 facts about the UK Supreme Court’s Brexit decision

This morning, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Brexit may not go forward unless Parliament votes to authorize withdrawal from the European Union, despite the fact that the motion won a national referendum last year. Continue Reading...

January 24, 2017

Turkey imprisons American pastor for ‘terrorism’

A pastor and North Carolina native is being held in Turkey on unsubstantiated charges of terrorism related activity. After more than 20 years of serving as an evangelical missionary in Turkey, Andrew Brunson, 48, thought he was being summoned to receive a long-awaited permanent residence card. Continue Reading...

January 24, 2017

Audio & Video: Sirico & Bonicelli on the Trump Administration

As the Trump Administration begins its work this week, the media continues to call on the Acton Institute for analysis and commentary, both in the US and abroad. Internationally, Acton Director of Programs and Education Paul Bonicelli joined host Alex Jensen on tbs eFM 101.3’s “This Morning” program in Seoul, South Korea on January 22nd to discuss the economic challenges facing the incoming administration, and the likelihood of potential trade conflicts between the United States and other nations down the road based on the protectionist rhetoric from Trump both on the campaign trail and during the presidential transition. Continue Reading...

January 24, 2017

How information and incentives solve economic problems

Note: This is post #18 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. To solve economic problems we need to solve information and incentive problems. In this video, Alex Tabarrok looks at how Nobel Prize-winner Friedrich Hayek described the price system and its approach to solving the information problem. Continue Reading...

January 24, 2017

Video: Avik Roy on the end of cultural conservatism as we know it

Bill Buckley and Russell Kirk were leaders in building a movement of cultural conservatism to counter the dominant strain of liberalism that governed American politics following World War II. This movement would eventually lead to the presidency of Ronald Reagan and the end of the Cold War, as well as the rise of Republican congressional leadership in the 1990s and following. Continue Reading...