Acton Line
584 episodes - English - Latest episode: 15 days ago - ★★★★★ - 201 ratingsDedicated to the promotion of a free and virtuous society, Acton Line brings together writers, economists, religious leaders, and more to bridge the gap between good intentions and sound economics.
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Episodes
A Closer Look at Aircraft Industrial Policy
May 03, 2023 13:50 - 54 minutesThe last time you took a commercial airline flight, odds are that you were on a plane that was manufactured by one of two companies: American-based Boeing, or French-based Airbus. Together, these two companies have almost the entire market for commercial airplanes. A piece published recently at the website American Compass makes the argument that Airbus is a success story for industrial policy: European government decided they needed to compete with foreign manufacturers of airplanes, they ma...
Free Enterprise and the Common Good
April 26, 2023 15:16 - 49 minutesFor this episode of Acton Line, Dylan Pahman, the editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality and a research fellow here at Acton, speaks with Alexander Salter. Salter is the author of the recent article "Free Enterprise and the Common Good,“ published at the Heritage Foundation. The article has generated a lot of buzz, particularly online, where the Salter’s ideas have been the subject of much debate. Before delving into specific questions about the article and its reception, we start wit...
Unleashing the Entrepreneur
April 19, 2023 13:32 - 1 hourFor this episode of Acton Line, we’re bringing you a panel discussion from the Grand Rapids edition of the Free Market Road Show, an event the Acton Institue recently co-hosted along with the Austrian Economics Center. In this conversation, entitled “Unleashing the Entrepreneur,” the panelists explore the theme of entrepreneurship and how it can be a key driver of economic growth and prosperity, as well as examine the challenges that entrepreneurs face, such as regulatory barriers and access ...
The Mainstreaming of Marx
April 12, 2023 13:30 - 48 minutesKarl Marx. If you’re listening to this podcast, it’s unlikely that I need to explain to you who Karl Marx is. You know he’s the author of The Communist Manifesto, and the father of one of the most significant and impactful philosophical and economic theories of the late 19th and the 20th century. It would be fair for you to assume that Marx was always celebrated in the way he was throughout the 20th century, as numerous countries, like the Soviet Union, sought to put his theory into practice....
Hope and Transformation at New City Kids
April 05, 2023 13:30 - 39 minutesOver the course of the last year here at the Acton Institute, we’ve been bringing in local social providers so that our staff can gain a better understanding of the critical work that they do here in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, metro region to help alleviate poverty. Today, Eric Kohn sits down to talk with the leader of one of those social service providers, Trevor Rubingh of New City Kids. New City Kids offers after school programming for local low-income youth. Children and teens get a chan...
Unrestrained Government Spending and Economic Prosperity
March 29, 2023 13:00 - 1 hourFor this episode of Acton Line we’re bringing a panel discussion from the Free Market Road Show - Grand Rapids, a recent special event we hosted here at the Acton Institute in conjunction with the Austrian Economics Center. There is no need to describe the many problems and crises of our time. But there is a great need to look at the causes and to refute the simplified and politically opportune explanations. Only if we know exactly what the problems are and how they arose will we be able to ...
The Right’s Economic Left Turn
March 22, 2023 14:00 - 59 minutesA belief in the positive power of free markets has been a part of the political and philosophical program of the political right for virtually all of the post-World War II conservative movement. While elements of protectionism, and even isolationism, have always been currents in the political right, a support for free trade and free markets has been part of the right’s dogma for years. Now that is no longer the case. Many have lost confidence in the country’s commitment to economic liberty. ...
Religious Freedom in a Secular Age
March 15, 2023 13:30 - 46 minutesReligious freedom is a bitterly contested issue that spills over into political, public, and online spheres. It's an issue that's becoming ever more heated, and neither of the global political polarities is interested in protecting it. While the political left is openly hostile toward traditional religion, the political right seeks to weaponize it. How can we ensure that "religious freedom" is truly about freedom of one's religion rather than serving an ethno-nationalist agenda? In Religious ...
Should Businesses Embrace Remote Work?
March 08, 2023 14:45 - 1 hourShould businesses allow their employees to work remotely? Almost all employers and employees have wrestled with this question. More and more job-seekers are expecting remote-work flexibility, and COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns greatly accelerated this trend. But are employees really as productive working from home? Does remote work hurt company culture? Or could hybrid or remote options make businesses more successful? David Bahnsen, Founder of the Bahnsen Group, argues that remote work should b...
Connecting Cops and Community
March 01, 2023 14:44 - 39 minutesWhen people think of interactions between the police and the public these days, for many, the first thoughts that come to mind are of horrific incidents like the deaths of George Floyd or Brianna Taylor. Here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the Acton Institute is headquartered, a police officer is currently awaiting trial in the shooting death of 26-year old Patrick Lyoya. These incidents, and the rifts they have created between members of the community and members of law enforcement, highl...
The Intellectual Life
February 22, 2023 14:45 - 47 minutes“The feminine genius,” a term coined by Pope St. John Paul II, has become something of a buzzword in the Catholic world. But has the fullness of femininity been exhausted? In a new collection of seventeen essays entitled With All Her Mind: A Call to the Intellectual Life, written by Catholic women of diverse backgrounds and vocations, you will find a call to pursue what is too often excluded from our picture of femininity: the intellectual life. Following Mary, the “Seat of Wisdom,” who “trea...
Are Artists Really Free to Express Themselves?
February 15, 2023 14:15 - 57 minutesIn March 2021, Winston Marshall was the banjo player and guitarist for Mumford & Sons, the highly popular and award-winning folk rock ensemble. That same month, Marshall shared a seemingly innocuous tweet offering praise for guerrilla journalist Andy Ngo, and his book “Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.” “Congratulations Andy Ngo. Finally had time to read your important book. You’re a brave man.” As is the common story with Twitter, a firestorm ensued, with Marshal...
The Legacy of Ed Koch
February 08, 2023 14:30 - 43 minutesIf money is the mother’s milk of politics, then rhetoric is its currency. And few political characters of the late 20th century had a sharper wit than former New York City Mayor Ed Koch. Consider this gem from Koch: “If you agree with me on nine out of 12 issues, vote for me. If you agree with me on 12 out of 12 issues, see a psychiatrist.” Over this career in politics, Koch found himself sparring with numerous people, politicians and celebrities and even, occasionally, the voters. To be sure...
The Errors of the 1619 Project (Rebroadcast)
February 01, 2023 14:30 - 47 minutesSince debuting in the New York Times Magazine on August 14, 2019, the 1619 Project has ignited a debate about American history, the founding of the country, and the legacy emanating from the nation’s history with chattel slavery. The project’s creator and editor, Nikole Hannah-Jones, has described the project as seeking to place “the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.” Components of a related school curriculum have be...
Company Culture and the Human Person: A Compelling Vision
January 25, 2023 14:30 - 19 minutesColin Duff, a co-founder and head of operations at Styx Golf, delivers a speech on how to align company culture with the human experience to create a compelling vision for employees. He stresses the significance of identifying a gap in the market and developing a unique value proposition, as Styx Golf did by providing high-quality minimalist designed golf gear at a reasonable cost. Additionally, he highlights the importance of being attentive to customer feedback and making updates to the pro...
Martin Luther King Jr. and Russell Kirk: A Consensus of First Principles
January 18, 2023 15:30 - 39 minutesIn their own time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Russell Kirk occupied different ends of the political spectrum. Their philosophies inspired the two most powerful movements of the age: the Nonviolent Movement (which led the larger Civil Rights Movement) and the modern Conservative Movement. Without King and Kirk modern American Social Justice liberalism and modern American conservatism as we know them would not exist. And yet, for all of their differences, our modern politics suffer because ...
The Social Teaching of Pope Benedict XVI
January 11, 2023 14:02 - 45 minutesPope Emeritus Benedict XVI—scholar, teacher, theologian, prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and finally supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church until his resignation in 2013—died on December 31, 2022, at the age 95. Whether the subject was Islam, ecumenism, the rise and decline of the West, or simply "Who is Jesus Christ?,” Benedict opened up discussions once considered taboo and caused even hardened secularists to rethink some of their positions. For today’s ...
Taxes, Spending, and Powerball Winnings
January 04, 2023 14:00 - 40 minutesOn November 7, 2022, the jackpot for the Powerball lottery reached an astonishing $2.05 billion. Even after the federal and state governments take their piece of that, the winner will still be the recipient of a life-changing amount of money, more than enough to last an entire lifetime. But if the winner of that $2.05 billion Powerball jackpot was the United States federal government, they'd burn through that enormous sum of money in just over a week. How did the federal budget get this larg...
Who Was Lord Acton?
December 28, 2022 15:15 - 54 minutesThe Acton Institute is named in honor of John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton (1834–1902), 1st Baron Acton of Aldenham, a historian of freedom. Known as “the magistrate of history,” Lord Acton was one of the great personalities of the 19th century. Widely considered one of the most learned Englishmen of his time, Lord Acton made the history of liberty his life’s work. The most notable conclusion of Acton’s work is that political liberty is the essential condition and guardian of religious libe...
The Beatles and Economics (Rebroadcast)
December 21, 2022 14:30 - 50 minutesThe Beatles will go down in history as one of the most prolific music acts of all time. Their music is still played in our homes and around the world and has influenced pop culture on a global scale. In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton's Director of Communications, sits down with Samuel Staley to discuss his new book The Beatles and Economics: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and the Making of a Cultural Revolution. Subscribe to our podcasts Register Now for Business Matters 2023 Apply Now for Ac...
The Godly Path to Adam Smith’s Liberal Plan
December 14, 2022 15:15 - 40 minutesDaniel Klein is professor of economics and JIN Chair at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, where he co-leads a program in Adam Smith. There's been renewed interest in the role Christianity has played in liberalism since Larry Siedentop’s 2014 book, Inventing the Individual: The Origins of Western Liberalism. Today, Dan Churchwell, Acton’s Director of Programs and Education, sits down with Klein to discuss Adam Smith and his enlightenment vision. Building on Siedentop, Klein says ...
Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom
December 07, 2022 15:00 - 55 minutesFor this episode, we’re presenting the final evening plenary from Acton University 2022. This plenary was a panel discussion on Hong Kong medial mogul and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, the subject of Acton’s most recent documentary feature film, The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom. When Hong Kong’s basic freedoms come under attack, Jimmy Lai finds himself in the crosshairs of the state and must choose between defending Hong Kong’s long-standing liberties or his...
The Wounds of Beauty
November 30, 2022 16:00 - 1 hourIn this episode, Sarah Negri, research project coordinator at the Acton Institute, sits down with Margarita Mooney Clayton, professor of practical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary and founder and executive director of Scala Foundation, to talk about Mooney Clayton’s most recent book The Wounds of Beauty: Seven Dialogues on Art and Education (Cluny Media, 2022). They discuss beauty as a way of encountering and participating in the splendor of transcendental being through embodied sen...
Who Is To Blame For Poverty?
November 23, 2022 13:30 - 1 hourFor this episode, we're bringing you a session from our recent Poverty Cure Summit, a debate between between Bryan Caplan and Chris Arnade. The Poverty Cure Summit provides an opportunity for participants to listen to scholars, human service providers, and community leaders address the most critical issues we face today that can either exacerbate or alleviate poverty. Speakers joined panel discussions to discuss the legal, economic, social, and technological issues pertaining to both domestic...
Mary Kissel at Acton Institute’s 2022 Annual Dinner
November 16, 2022 13:15 - 26 minutesIn this episode, we're bringing you the keynote address from Mary Kissel at this year's Acton Institute Annual Dinner. Mary Kissel is executive vice president and senior policy adviser at Stephens Inc., a Little Rock, Arkansas–based, privately held financial services firm, where she advises management and clients on foreign policy and geopolitical risk. Prior to joining Stephens, she served as senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo from October 2018 to January 2021. In th...
The Gift of Disillusionment
November 09, 2022 14:45 - 21 minutesHow can leaders respond to discouragement in their work? Noah Gould sits down with Peter Greer, President & CEO of HOPE International, to discuss his latest book, The Gift of Disillusionment. In this conversation, they explore the responses of cynicism and idealism, and how leaders can move forward through extreme trials and disappointments. Subscribe to our podcasts The Gift of Disillusionment | Amazon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Men Without Work
November 02, 2022 12:30 - 59 minutesIn 2016, Nick Eberstadt’s book “Men Without Work: America's Invisible Crisis” brought to light the grim reality that millions of working-age men were retreating voluntarily from the labor force. Although this trend was widely overlooked for decades, Eberstadt’s searing analysis finally made it impossible to ignore. Today, six years and one catastrophic pandemic later, the male exodus from work has not only intensified but has spilled over into new demographics, including women and workers ove...
No Free Lunch
October 26, 2022 12:30 - 37 minutesCommon economic perceptions pervade our discourse on policy. Dr. Caleb Fuller’s latest book, No Free Lunch: Six Economic Lies You’ve Been Taught and Probably Believe, sets out to dispel these myths. Acton’s President Emeritus, Fr. Robert Sirico said of the book, “Anyone who wants a well-rounded education will not want to be without the knowledge this book contains.” This week on Acton Line, Noah Gould, Alumni & Student Programs Manager at the Acton Institute, sits down with Dr. Fuller to di...
The Next American Economy
October 19, 2022 14:00 - 49 minutesOne of America’s greatest success stories is its economy. For over a century, it has been the envy of the world. The opportunity it generates has inspired millions of people to want to become American. Today, however, America’s economy is at a crossroads. Many have lost confidence in the country’s commitment to economic liberty. Across the political spectrum, many want the government to play an even greater role in the economy via protectionism, industrial policy, stakeholder capitalism, or e...
Conservatism and Its Current Discontents
October 12, 2022 11:03 - 40 minutesAmerican conservatism appears to be coming apart at the seams. What, if anything, can bring the various factions together to fight the much greater threat of an illiberal, intolerant left? Perhaps plain common sense. In this episode of Acton Line, George H. Nash sits down with Noah Gould to discuss his article "Conservatism and Its Current Discontents: A Survey and a Modest Proposal" which appeared in the Winter/Spring 2022 issue of Religion & Liberty. George H. Nash is a Senior Fellow of the...
Blockchain Technology with Alexander Romanowski
October 05, 2022 13:30 - 36 minutesAlexander Hernandez Romanowski is a crypto research analyst at Tribal. Formerly a blockchain research analyst at the Mcnair Center for entrepreneurship at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, Romanowski focuses on how blockchain technology can improve access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Stephen Barrows, Acton’s Chief Operating Officer, sits down with Romanowski to examine a research report entitled “Accelerating Small Business with Blockchain Technology.” Romanowski...
The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
September 28, 2022 10:02 - 1 hour5G. Microchips in vaccines. Crisis actors. Chemtrails. It seems that tales of conspiracy theories are in the news, and on social medial, constantly. But conspiracy theories have been with us for a long time. Black helicopters. 9/11 trutherism. The JFK assassination. And, anti-semitism is arguably the oldest conspiracy theory there is. Are conspiracy theories more prevalent now than they have been before? And what attracts people to believing in them? In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton’s Dire...
Free Trade and Globalization
September 21, 2022 10:03 - 42 minutesPhilip Booth is professor of finance, public policy, and ethics and director of Catholic Mission at St. Mary’s University explores all aspects of free trade and globalization. What is globalization? Is it a new phenomena? How did globalization fuel progress in the 19th century and how was it disrupted? How has globalization effected the developing world? How are effects different in the developed world? What challenges does globalization present to both the developed and developing world? ...
Judaism and the Market Economy
September 14, 2022 10:01 - 42 minutesRabbi Mitchell Rocklin serves as the president of the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty and is also a resident research fellow at the Tikvah Fund has a wide ranging conversation on Judaism and Markets. How does religion in general speak to the market economy? Does Judaism’s covenantal self-understanding foster a unique perspective? Where do the perspectives of Christianity and Islam overlap with Judaism and how do they differ? What is the historical contribution of the Jewish community t...
The Rise of the New Puritans
September 07, 2022 10:30 - 50 minutesIn The Rise of the New Puritans, Commentary Magazine associate editor Noah Rothman explains how, in pursuit of a better world, a relatively new and fervent strain of progressivism, in a “burst of moral enthusiasm” is ruining the very things which make life worth living by attempting to craft a society full of verbal trip wires and digital witch hunts. Football? Too violent. Fusion food? Appropriation. The nuclear family? Oppressive. As the social scientist Yuval Levin wrote in a review of the...
How History Frees and Forms Christians
August 31, 2022 09:00 - 41 minutesDavid George Moore, founder and president of Two Cities Ministries, discusses his recent book Stuck in the Present: How History Frees and Forms Christians. Dylan Pahman, Acton research fellow and executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality, joins Moore to explore his vision of how a deeper appreciation of history can ground Christians in an age in which one too often faces a landslide of information with insufficient tools to sift through the mess of our present world. Subscribe to...
Economic Inequality and Envy
August 24, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutesP. J. Hill, professor of economics emeritus at Wheaton College (Illinois) and a senior fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman, Montana, delves into the topic of “Economic Inequality and Envy” based on a lecture he gave at Acton University 2022. Sarah Negri, research project coordinator at Acton, sits down with Hill to talk about the different kinds of economic inequality, the difference between inequality and poverty, and the economic and moral problems with envy be...
Does the university have a future?
August 17, 2022 09:00 - 45 minutesThe Rev. John Arthur Nunes, Ph.D., is a Lutheran pastor and senior fellow at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy, discusses the current challenges in higher education. How can students be challenged to enter into the world of new ideas in an era when many students and administrators seem more concerned with affirming student identities and experience? What are the current challenges to academic freedom in the face of increasing pressure to censor ideas? How can campus leaders pro...
7 Deadly Economic Sins
August 10, 2022 09:00 - 47 minutesYou’ve heard of the Seven Deadly Sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. Each is a natural and recurring human weakness that impedes happiness. In addition to these vices, however, there are deadly economic “sins.” They, too, wreak havoc in both our personal lives and in society. They can seem intuitively compelling, yet lead to waste and lost prosperity. Dylan Pahman, Acton’s research fellow and executive editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality, sat down with James ...
Emerging Leaders at the Acton Institute
August 03, 2022 09:00 - 50 minutesThe Acton Institute’s Emerging Leaders Program is a leadership development initiative that brings together a cohort of students from across the nation and globe for a transformative experience. During the summer, Emerging Leaders gain professional experience, grow their network, and delve deeper into the ideas of a free and virtuous society. In this episode, we sit down with three of our Emerging Leaders: Walker Haskins, Lauren McCoy, and David Mendoza. They discuss Acton’s Emerging Leader...
Taking rites seriously with Francis Beckwith
July 27, 2022 09:00 - 58 minutesFrancis Beckwith, professor of philosophy and church-state studies at Baylor University, discusses the lecture he gave at Acton University 2022 entitled, “Taking Rites Seriously: Law, Politics, and the Reasonableness of Faith.” Sarah Negri, Acton’s research project coordinator, sits down with Beckwith to discuss how religious rites such as marriage have a special significance not typically recognized in civil law, and how religion is unfairly set up as in conflict with reason, when in fact ri...
Check your financial privilege
July 20, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutesAlex Gladstein, chief strategy officer at the Human Rights Foundation, discusses his new book, “Check Your Financial Privilege,” and how cryptocurrency can aid in pulling people out of poverty. Dan Hugger, Acton’s librarian and research associate, sits down with Gladstein to discuss what's happening, for example, in Nigeria, where human rights activists depend on Bitcoin for donations. In Cuba, those who saved in Bitcoin managed to stay afloat after a dual-currency system devalued the peso. I...
Mike Cosper on ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’
July 13, 2022 09:00 - 42 minutes“The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” is one of the most popular Christian podcasts of the past year. It chronicles how Mars Hill Church in Seattle went from one of the most influential multisite evangelical churches in the U.S. to an abuse- and scandal-ridden nightmare, finally having to shut its doors for good in 2014 following the resignation of its charismatic founder, Mark Driscoll. Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of marketing and communications, sits down with Mike Cosper, producer, writer, an...
Fatherhood, fraternities, and moral formation
July 06, 2022 09:00 - 1 hourAnthony Bradley, professor of religious studies at The King’s College, NYC, and Acton research fellow, sits down with Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of program outreach, to discuss the importance of fatherhood as well as Dr. Bradley’s new research on the good that fraternities do in the way of moral formation of young men. Subscribe to our podcasts About Anthony B. Bradley, PhD Black Marriage Matters | Acton Institute Saving men requires the leadership of laymen | Acton Institute ...
Literature and the scandal of holiness
June 29, 2022 09:00 - 42 minutesAward-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson has written an exciting new book—“The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints”—on how we’re called to live beyond a merely mundane existence of settling for small goals. In fact, we’re called to live a life of holiness. Wilson instructs us on how hearing the call to holiness requires cultivating a new imagination—one rooted in the art and discipline of reading. Reading with eyes attuned to the saints who popul...
Betsy DeVos on fixing education
June 22, 2022 09:00 - 48 minutesBetsy DeVos joins Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of marketing and communications, in the studio to discuss her new book, “Hostages No More.“ In her book, DeVos writes about her experiences working in the Trump administration and how the “woke” curriculum is negatively impacting our children’s learning. She also lays out a detailed approach to fixing America’s badly broken education system and securing a prosperous future for our kids. Subscribe to our podcasts Hostages No More by Betsy De...
How savings banks and credit unions help prevent poverty
June 15, 2022 09:00 - 49 minutesIn this episode, Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of program outreach, sits down with Dr. Richard Turnbull, the director of the Center for Enterprise, Markets and Ethics, to discuss how banks and credit unions develop a culture of savings, independence, and poverty prevention. Do trends in the direction of large, national, even global banking institutions best serve these ideals? And what are the implications of the loss of diversity in institutional and local provisions for personal saving? ...
Reason, nature, and the human good
June 08, 2022 09:00 - 56 minutesDaniel Wagner, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of philosophy at Aquinas College, sits down with Dan Hugger, Acton’s librarian and research associate, to explore the Aristotelian-Thomistic account of the human good, natural law, and living well. Why should we seek to know ourselves? How is the human good related to excellence and virtue? How do we reconcile this account of the good with the divergent moral views we see in the world? Subscribe to our podcasts About Daniel Wagner The...
'Conservatism: A Rediscovery'
June 01, 2022 09:00 - 58 minutesIn this episode, Sam Gregg sits down with award-winning political theorist Yoram Hazony to discuss Hazony’s new book, “Conservatism: A Rediscovery.” Hazony argues that the idea that American conservatism is identical to “classical” liberalism, which has been widely held since the 1960s, is seriously mistaken. According to Hazony, the best hope for Western democracy is a return to the empiricist, religious, and nationalist traditions of America and Britain. These conservative traditions bro...
The next generation of church leaders
May 25, 2022 09:00 - 51 minutesIn this episode of Acton Line, Dylan Pahman, research fellow and executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality here at Acton, sits down with Jeff Fisher, professor of theology and director of spiritual formation, and Branson Parler, professor of theology and director of theological education, both of the Foundry, to discuss their entrepreneurial alternative to traditional Christian higher education for ministry leaders. Topics range from the specifics of how the Foundry works to broad...