circles of exchange

May 05, 2017

How free trade creates economic and moral bonds

In our discussions about free trade, it can be easy to focus only on short-term disruptions or long-term material gains, using either to argue for or against it on behalf of the poor. Continue Reading...

June 23, 2015

Jean Marie’s Abundant Harvest

“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.” -Isaiah 61:11 Jean Marie owns a restaurant and farm in southern Rwanda. Continue Reading...

June 11, 2015

Isolation and Self-Sufficiency: The Logical Ends of Protectionism

When it comes to free trade, critics insist that it hurts the American worker — kicking them while they’re down and slowly eroding the communal fabric of mom-and-pops, longstanding trades, and factory towns. Continue Reading...

February 04, 2015

You Can’t Separate Stewardship from Economics

As Christians continue to turn their attention to the intersection of faith and work, it can be easy to dwell on such matters only insofar as they apply to our individual lives. Continue Reading...

October 30, 2014

Poverty, Inc. Documentary Premieres in Austin and Savannah

I worked alongside several Acton Institute colleagues and Coldwater Media for years on the Poverty, Inc. full-length documentary film, which tackles the question: Fighting poverty is big business, but who profits the most? Continue Reading...

September 05, 2013

Calvin Coolidge and the Power of Connectedness

In the latest episode of Uncommon Knowledge, Peter Robinson interviews Amity Shlaes, author of the new biography, Coolidge. Read Ray Nothstine’s review here. In the book, Shlaes makes an explicit connection between Coolidge’s rough-and-humble upbringing in Plymouth Notch, VA, and his bootstraps optimism about commerce and markets. Continue Reading...