Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'manufacturing'

January 19, 2017

Called to the coalfields: How an Appalachian church is spurring economic action

  Due to a rapidly changing economy and a range of excessive regulations from the federal government, the American coal mining industry is facing serious challenges. For states like West Virginia, the effects are particularly painful, as mining towns and communities struggle under a projected 23% decline in related jobs in recent years, leading vast numbers of residents to leave the state altogether. Continue Reading...
December 22, 2016

The magic of the washing machine

What was the greatest invention of the industrial revolution? Hans Rosling makes the case for the washing machine. Rosling explains how the productivity gains of the washing machine—and similar labor-saving devices—lead to increases in education and economic growth in the developing world. Continue Reading...
March 27, 2015

The Smile Curve and the Future of the Middle Class

The smile curve is an idea came from the computer industry, but it applies broadly. It’s a recognition, in graph form, that there is good money to be made (or more value to be added) in research and development, and, at the other end, in marketing and retailing. Continue Reading...
June 09, 2014

Jonathan Witt on the Failure of ‘Social Business’

Jonathan Witt, research fellow at Acton, recently wrote a piece at The Federalist about “social business.” He argues that it might do more good to own and operate an ethical business that follows through on its contracts and “respects the dignity of employees and customers,” rather than trying to have a “social business.” Continue Reading...
February 13, 2013

Glorifying God and Changing Lives Through Metal Manufacturing

The Center for Faith and Work at LeTourneau University recently profiled Camcraft, a Christian-run manufacturing business whose owners, the Bertsche family, seek to steward their business according to God’s purposes. “By using Biblical principles to run a company,” says Bern Bertsche, “not only is that God’s way, but it’s a very effective way to run a business.” Continue Reading...
February 13, 2013

Samuel Gregg: An Alternate Reality State of the Union Address

On National Review Online, Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg reflects on President Obama’s State of the Union address last night, and flags the “reality-denial” that is expressed by “a few token references to free enterprise and rewarding individual initiative (to reassure us we’re still living in America instead of just another declining European social democracy).” Continue Reading...
January 02, 2007

The outsourced knight

James Dyson, inventor of the world’s most exciting bagless vacuum cleaner, will receive a knighthood. Speaking of his company, the BBC reports: Today, the company has about 1,400 staff in the UK, with about 4,000 others working in production plants in Malaysia and China. Continue Reading...