property rights

October 07, 2015

In the Quest for Globalization, Let’s Not Forget About ‘Internal’ Free Trade

“Globalization must do more than connect elites and big businesses that have the legal means to expand their markets, create capital, and increase their wealth.” –Hernando de Soto When assessing the causes of the recent boom in global prosperity, economists and analysts will point much of their praise to the power of free trade and globalization, and rightly so. Continue Reading...

May 21, 2015

‘Rule Of Law’ Sounds Boring, But It Is Essential To Human Flourishing

Rule of law is not something we hear much about, nor do we really want to. It’s kind of … dull. Tedious. Yawn-inducing. Unless, of course, you live somewhere where there is no rule of law. Continue Reading...

March 19, 2015

The Perils Of ‘Friendly Fascism’

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just get along? We could share all our stuff. You know, you could borrow my cashmere sweater that I saved up for, and I could borrow your Che Guevara t-shirt you got at in the dollar bin at the local flea market. Continue Reading...

January 08, 2015

Love and Economics: From Contract to Cooperation

The subject of contracts is not particularly romantic, which is part of the reason I’d like to talk about contracts—and how we might reach beyond them. In some ways, we’ve come to overly ignore, downplay, or disregard contracts. 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...

October 13, 2014

Can Capitalism Cure Terrorism?

The Middle East is enduring yet another wave of terror and political change, spurring countless Western analysts and elites to offer their preferred strategies and solutions, most of which involve military force, foreign aid, or some mixture of the two. Continue Reading...

October 10, 2014

The Beauty of Oyster Farming

The oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay has severely dwindled, amounting to less than 1% of historic levels, according to the NOAA. In turn, from a consumer’s perspective, Virginia oysters have been increasingly replaced by other varieties from around the globe. Continue Reading...

June 25, 2014

A Cultural Case for Capitalism: 9 of 12 — Berry vs. Salatin

[Part 1 is here.] Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning, details how the growth of government-corporate cronyism during the past 120 or so years has been largely a phenomenon of the socialist left. Continue Reading...

June 23, 2014

A Cultural Case for Capitalism: Part 6 of 12 — The Distributist Alternative

Part 1 is here.] An economically free society doesn’t have to be hyper-utilitarian, materialistic and banal; and yet, here we are, living in a capitalist age marked by these very features. Continue Reading...

November 27, 2013

Pilgrims, Property Rights, and the Source of Stewardship

Each Thanksgiving brings with it another opportunity to pause, meditate, and express our gratitude for the great blessings in life. As one who recently welcomed a new baby boy to my family, it seems particularly evident this season that the greatest blessings are not, after all, material. Continue Reading...

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