Off the coast of California floats a Texas-sized island made out of garbage. It’s comprised almost entirely of humanity’s plastic waste. Where did this garbage mass in the middle of the Pacific Ocean came from? Continue Reading...
Latest Posts
July 24, 2019
Explainer: What you should know about federal deficits
July 24, 2019
Acton Line rebroadcast: Tackling populism with Ben Domenech
Populism is gaining traction, both abroad and in the United States. In 2017, the Swedish libertarian think tank Timbro and the European Policy Information Center released their “Authoritarian Populism Index,” showing that populist parties have gained the highest percentage of the vote in nine countries, including Hungary (65.2%), Poland (46.4%) and Greece (45.1%). Continue Reading...
July 24, 2019
Culture and creativity: Thoughts on our environment
Between a summer heatwave in the United States and Europe and a recent speech by President Trump, the topic of climate and environmental policy and conditions has been even more prominent than usual lately. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019
How ideologues devalue and dismiss economics
Economics is often dismissed as ideological, reductionist, and mendacious. In the United States we see these criticisms increasingly from both the political left and right. This should come as no surprise as the lessons of economics have implications for the prudential decisions that make up much of our political life. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019
Video: Bruce Riley Ashford on religious liberty in a secular age
The Acton Lecture Series resumed on July 18 with a lecture by Bruce Riley Ashford, provost and professor of theology and culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaking on the subject of how to maintain respect for religious liberty in a rapidly secularizing culture. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019
Uruguay’s dignifying prison: Entrepreneurship as rehabilitation
The United States faces significant challenges when it comes to prisoner rehabilitation. According to a recent study, more than 700,000 prisoners are released annually from federal and state prisons. Unfortunately, “within three years, 40 percent will be reincarcerated.” Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019
Explainer: Who is Boris Johnson?
Boris Johnson, a champion of free trade and lower taxes, will serve as the next prime minister of the UK beginning on Wednesday, July 24. Officials announced on Tuesday that Johnson won 66.4 percent of the Conservative Party’s popular vote, besting rival Jeremy Hunt 92,153 votes to 46,656. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019
A victory for socialism? The Israeli Kibbutz
While eating lunch at an Israeli Kibbutz last winter, I learned firsthand about what used to be a self-contained, socialist community. I was struck by the local guide’s positive view of socialism, believing it to produce strong communal life and economic prosperity. Continue Reading...
July 23, 2019