accountability

May 10, 2017

Development malpractice: When failure in ‘doing good’ is worse than ‘doing nothing’

What happens when governments, NGOs, charities, and churches all converge in scurried attempts to alleviate global poverty, whether through wealth transfers or other top-down, systematic solutions? As films like PovertyCure and Poverty, Inc. Continue Reading...

December 15, 2016

The value of trust—and how to create it

Trusting strangers not only makes our lives easier, it makes our country more prosperous. As economist Tim Hartford says, “One of the underrated achievements of the modern world has been to develop ways to extend the circle of trust by depersonalising it.” Continue Reading...

October 04, 2016

Against technocracy: Greg Forster on reviving the fight for educational freedom

“Our problem [with education] today is not to enforce conformity; it is rather that we are threatened with an excess of conformity. Our problem is to foster diversity.” –Milton Friedman, Capitalism & Freedom The education reform movement has set forth a range of strategies to combat the leviathan of public education. Continue Reading...

September 28, 2010

Public Accountability for Public Officials

Via TechDirt: …a judge has tossed out the wiretapping claims pointing out that there was no expectation of privacy out in public. “Those of us who are public officials and are entrusted with the power of the state are ultimately accountable to the public,” the judge wrote. Continue Reading...

June 28, 2010

On Cops and Cameras

Gizmodo has an intriguing post about attempts to regulate and even criminalize photography. As Wendy McIlroy reports, “In at least three states, it is now illegal to record any on-duty police officer.” Continue Reading...

February 18, 2009

PBR: Governmental Accountability and Transparency?

In response to the question, “What are the moral lessons of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)?” Does the ARRA mark the dawn of a new era of government accountability, from a government “of the people, by the people, for the people”? Continue Reading...

December 23, 2008

The Naughty List

You can view the most recent list of those companies that have received bailout assistance from the federal government via the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA), executed through measures like the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), here (PDF updated 12/16/08). Continue Reading...

October 22, 2008

New Video Short: How Not to Help the Poor

New from Acton Media, this video short titled “How Not to Help the Poor” discusses the root causes of poverty and how even the best of intentions can go wrong in dealing with and trying to help those in need. Continue Reading...

August 13, 2008

Anthony Bradley discusses cultural moral failings

Anthony Bradley has written a thoughtful and challenging commentary titled, “John Edwards is the Real World.” Bradley discusses the moral bankruptcy and sexual infidelity that plagues our culture, and further highlights the seriousness of sin and its consequences. Continue Reading...

March 08, 2007

Getting a grip on global corruption

Check out Global Integrity, “an independent, non-profit organization tracking governance and corruption trends around the world. Global Integrity uses local teams of researchers and journalists to monitor openness and accountability” (HT: Librarians’ Internet Index: New This Week). Continue Reading...