Acton Line

All children deserve the love and affection that come from being in a family. Most importantly, children deserve to have their needs met in a permanent and loving home. The original ideal of the foster care system was to provide such fundamental necessities until a child is reunited with his or her biological parents, or adopted. However, the present reality shows us something entirely different. The child welfare system has declined to the point where it now caters to the needs of the adults rather than to those of the children.  In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton director of communications, sits with Naomi Schaefer Riley, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss her new book, No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives.   Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault  No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives  Bio | Naomi Schaefer Riley Ant

William Shakespeare is undoubtedly one of the greatest writers of Western civilization. As we watch or read his plays, we are still able to draw applicable lessons on politics, our fallen human nature, and how one should relate to God and neighbor. In this episode, I sit down with Nicolas McAfee to discuss the political wisdom of Shakespeare's late plays. Bio | Nicolas McAfee is a fourth-year doctoral student studying political philosophy at the University of Dallas. He is currently writing a dissertation on the political wisdom of William Shakespeare’s late plays under the direction of Dr. Gerard Wegemer. By unpacking the power of narrative storytelling to shape communities for good or ill, Nicolas’ work aims to foster thoughtful engagement of political literature and healthy participation in civic life. A native of Upland, Calif., he and his wife currently live in Irving, Texas. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault  Playing Shakespeare: An Actor's Guide by John Barton  Playing Shakespeare, T

Forced labor camps have been embedded in Chinese politics since the birth of the People’s Republic of China. Mao Zedong created and instituted these camps to terrorize and indoctrinate anyone who didn’t “fall in line.”   Today these camps are more prevalent than ever. Not only are they hothouses for indoctrination and torture, but the products they produce are sold globally, generating more profit for the communist regime.   In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton's director of communications, sits down with Weifeng Zhong, senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to discuss Dr. Zhong's troubling research. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault  The China Challenge: The West Struggles To Respond To Beijing’s Forced-Labor Camps Weifeng Zhong, Author at Discourse  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday, October 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Acton Institute will host its First Annual Academic Colloquium on Markets & Morality. This year’s theme is “Neo-Calvinism & Modern Economics.”   In this episode, Dan Hugger, librarian and research associate, and Sarah Negri, research project coordinator, both at the Acton Institute, sit down with Dylan Pahman, an Acton research fellow and executive editor of the Journal of Markets & Morality, to discuss why Acton is hosting an academic colloquium, what an academic colloquium is, and who should attend.   Register here for the colloquium   More details    Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COVID-19 has impacted us in ways that will continue to affect us for generations. In this episode, I explore a very particular consequence of COVID: Children born during the pandemic have scored significantly lower on IQ tests. I sit down with Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, president and founder of the Ruth Institute, to unpack this disturbing phenomenon. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault  The Ruth Institute  Bio | Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D  Love & Economics: It Takes a Family to Raise a Village  Love and Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family Doesn't Work  The Sexual State: How Elite Ideologies Are Destroying Lives and Why the Church Was Right All Along  Covid-19: Children born during the pandemic score lower on cognitive tests, study finds  Forbes deletes article on psychological damage of masking children - LifeSite  School Mask Mandates Mean Trauma For Millions Of Children, Especially Those From Low-Income Families  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 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.  Book | Beatles & Economics  Pope John Paul, George, and Ringo on the harms of high taxes   Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault  Music contained in this episode: Getting Better | The Beatles | 1967 I Want to Hold Your Hand | The Beatles | 1963 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | 1967 Here Comes the Sun | The Beatles | 1969 Everything in its Right Place | Radiohead | 2000 Come Together | The Beatles | 1969 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) | The Beatles | 1965 Tomorrow Never Knows | The Beatles | 1966 Strawberry Fields Forever | The Beatles | 1966 Lucy in the Sky wi

“Crisis” is a catch-all phrase used in modern rhetoric typically attached to any movement or belief that aims to point out an issue. However, it is as important as ever to rationally conclude what constitutes a crisis, and to what extent eras of “crises” defend government intervention. In this episode, Acton Institute’s research associate and librarian Dan Hugger sits down with participants of Acton’s Emerging Leader program, Grace Hemmeke, Ben Luker, and Jeremy Ward to discuss their Capstone project on the rights and responsibilities of government action in times of crisis. The three Emerging Leaders discuss the ordered role of the United States government during times of crisis through the Acton Institute’s framework of a free and virtuous society, characterized by individual liberty, and sustained by religious principles. Their research was prompted by the government’s role in the COVID-19 crisis, and is extended to practical judgement in both historical and current analysis of catastrophic periods. Are cr

The events of 9/11 are forever etched in the hearts of all Americans. Most of us still remember exactly where we were when it happened. In this episode, Acton’s Director of Communications Eric Kohn sits down with Niels Jorgensen, a retired New York firefighter, who shares his story of what happened at ground zero that day.  As we approach the 20th anniversary of September 11th, let us reflect on the bravery and courage that took place those two decades ago and to be especially thankful for all that God has given us. 20 for 20 podcast: 20 Stories for 20 Years Since 9/11  The Gift of a Second Chance  Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Nathan Mech, program outreach project manager here at the Acton Institute, sits down with Ali Salman, co-founder of Islam & Liberty Network, to discuss his new book, Islam & Economics. Islam offers three moral principles of economic organization: ownership, wealth creation, and wealth circulation. Based on these principles, Islam and Economics derives a framework of operational institutional tenets for the economic organization of a society. It addresses all important business, policy, and equity issues that any economic system should resolve and broadens the discussion on the modern discipline of “Islamic economics.”  In this conversation, they delve into the most contentious issue within Islamic economics, which is charging interest. They cover how Islamic banks have answered the Qur’anic prohibition on usury, and how Salman sorts through this problem. Next, they explore the Islamic view of taxation, and Salman  made an Islamic argument that the only two permissible forms of taxation are we

This week on Acton Unwind, Sam Gregg, and special guests Dan Hugger and Michael Miller discuss the ongoing developments in Afghanistan as we approach the 31st deadline. Then, they discuss the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill and how we can look to C.S. Lewis for guidance on how to respond. What is human infrastructure? Is the United States a civilization-building nation? Is all truth subjective?  Subscribe to the Acton Unwind Podcast  Biden’s ‘stimulus’ for a growing economy is all about central control  Afghanistan I fought for lacks foundation for freedom  A Taliban 9/11 - William McGurn  Bio | Michael Miller  Bio | Dan Hugger  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time in more than 6 decades Cuban citizens are protesting in the streets against their communist government regime.  In this episode, Dan Hugger, Librarian and research associate here at the Acton Institute sits down with a Cuban priest Fr. Alberto Reyes to discuss the horrors of communism in Cuba, the revolution, and how Christians should respond to it. As a quick note, in this interview, Fr. Reyes speaks in his native tongue, Spanish and we have translated his answers to English. The Tragedy of Communism in Cuba | Acton Vault Cuba Libre: Protestors call for an end to communism and oppression  The crumbling façade of Cuban communism  Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast About Fr. Reyes:   Alberto Reyes Pías was born in Camagüey, Cuba, on May 26, 1967. He grew up in Florida, Camaguey, where he studied until finishing high school. At the age of 18 he entered the University of Medical Science in Camagüey. At the end of his third year of medicine he decided to leave un

This week on Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and special guest Mustafa Akyol discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan, as the United States works feverishly to get Americans out of the country. How many refugees should the United States accept? What will rule by the Taliban look like? Have they changed at all, as some people have suggested? Then, Eric and Sam discuss the FDA’s final approval of the COVID vaccines, the lockdowns in Australia and New Zealand and the resistance they have produced, and whether our elites and civic leaders are more incompetent than they were in the past, or whether the velocity and availability of information just makes it seem that way. Subscribe to Acton Unwind on: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify More options Mustafa Akyol Reopening Muslim Minds with Mustafa Akyol - Acton Line Welcoming the stranger: The dignity and promise of Afghan refugees - Joseph Sunde Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Nathan Mech, program outreach project manager here at the Acton Institute, sits down with Mustafa Akyol, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, to discuss his new book, Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance.  In his book, Akyol dives deep into Islamic theology, shares lessons from his own life story, and reveals how Muslims lost the universalism that made them a great civilization in their earlier centuries.  Values often associated with Western thought like freedom, reason, tolerance, and science were historically part of Islamic philosophy but in recent generations have been cast aside to reach political ends. Mustafa Akyol | Bio   Islam and Freedom Islam and Markets  Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance  Mustafa Akyol on the prospects for liberty in the Islamic world   Subscribe to Acton Vault podcast Subscribe to Acton Unwind podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the collapse of the Afghanistan government as the United States withdraws from the country nearly 20 years after September 11th and the beginning of combat operations there. We were told a collapse might happen in a year. Instead, it took days. What lessons should be learned from this? And how are we to trust our institutions when they’re constantly shown to be either wrong or lying to us? August 15 marked the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon taking the United States off the gold standard. How much of the economic turbulence in the decades since can be blamed on this decision? And, what role can cryptocurrencies play in the future of monetary policy? Subscribe to Acton Unwind on: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify More options “Why, as a Muslim, I Defend Liberty” by Mustafa Akyol “Islam and Economics: A Primer on Markets, Morality, and Justice” by Ali Salman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As of May 2021, prices increased 5% over the course of one year – the sharpest increase in inflation since 2008. Inflation poses a palpable threat to the economic prosperity of America. Its prevalence is perpetuated by political institutions, corporations, and personal opinions. Big corporations and moguls will not necessarily suffer through significant change with a 5% increase in prices, the common citizen is more likely to be presented with financial hardships in their daily purchases. Guest Peter Jacobsen, Assistant Professor of Economics at Ottawa University and the Gwartney Professor of Economic Education as well as a staff member at the Foundation for Economic Education, sits down with Director of Communications, Eric Kohn, to discuss the problems inflation proposes to America’s economic processes. In this episode, Peter Jacobsen also speaks further on his newest article, “No, Higher Wages are Not a ‘Silver Lining’ of Inflation,” and the false notions that the general public has on inflationary trends.

We're thrilled to bring you a new podcast from the Acton Institute: Acton Unwind. Acton Unwind is a weekly roundtable discussion of news and current events through the Acton Institute's lens on the world: promoting a free and virtuous society and connecting good intentions with sound economics. Each week I’ll be joined by Dr. Samuel Gregg and other Acton Institute experts for an exploration of news, politics, religion, and culture. This week, we discuss the extension of the CDC's unconstitutional eviction moratorium, the Biden administration's economically problematic proposal for free community college, and the New Right's infatuation with Viktor Orbán's Hungary. Thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy Acton Unwind. ‘Small-Time Landlords “Hanging on By Their Fingernails” as Eviction Moratorium Drags On’ - National Review A Landlord Says Her Tenants Are Terrorizing Her. She Can’t Evict Them. - New York Times Making community college free has hidden costs - Detroit News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv

Genuine friendships are one of the core qualities of a great life. Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero called a friend “a second self.” British author C.S. Lewis exalted friendship as adding “value to survival.” Whether in antiquity or modernity, friendship plays an integral part in the richness of the human experience for men and women alike. However, recent studies have shown that the amount of friendships the average man has are on the decline. Daniel Cox, founder and director of the Survey Center on American Life and a senior research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with Acton Line producer Gabriel Geagea to speak further on his latest article published in the National Review, “American men suffer a friendship recession,” an article focused on the diminishing rates of male friendships in the United States and its implications on America’s social sphere. If friendship is indeed an inherent good, what threats does its absence present to modern American society? In addition to anal

In the early 1900’s, the Netherlands was under the rule of a dynamic prime minister, Abraham Kuyper. A multi-faceted figure, he implemented significant change in a vast array of sectors and contributed his work to Dutch society as a statesman, a journalist, a historian, a University founder, and a Calvinist theologian, among many other things. But what can contemporary economic and political reasoning gain from the work of a man who was not a conventional economist? In this episode, Dan Hugger, librarian and research associate here at the Acton Institute is joined by Peter Heslam, director of Transforming Business and a senior member of Trinity College at the University of Cambridge to discuss Kuyper’s teachings on Business & Economics. Heslam is also published widely on business, economics, religion, and is the author of Creating Christian Worldview: Abraham Kuyper’s Lectures on Calvinism. Hugger and Heslam discuss the life of Abraham Kuyper, his genius, and the role he plays in societal understanding in our

Industrial policy is making a comeback in political discourse as a key issue to be tackled in maintaining America’s dominance internationally. Industry has always been a greater reflection of the trademarks of America; its efficiency, economic values, and its entrepreneurial spirit. However, in America’s current understanding of industrial policy, among other issues, it leans towards the government seizing the role of the market for itself; to control the economy in job opportunities and losses, unaccompanied by the natural flow of the market. In this episode, Dr. Samuel Gregg, Acton Institute’s director of research is joined by Dr. Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to discuss the industrial soul of American society, and if it is to be adopted as a major governmental policy, its ramifications on the American economy. Also discussed are ideas like the word itself: “industry,” and how it has become politically opportunistic in the hasty push for its a

Generation Z is a demographic group born between the late 1990’s and early 2010’s and they are beginning to trickle into workplaces. The push for open mindedness to become the norm in modern society means “Gen Zers” have already been confronted with ideas like fourth wave feminism, intersectionality, the transgender movement, and wokeism throughout their upbringing. Along with receptivity for progressive ideals, Gen Z now claims the largest percent of college attendance in history. In fact,  59 percent of 18 to 20 year olds were enrolled in colleges in 2017, compared to 53 percent of similar aged students in 2002 for the millennial generation. In this episode, Acton Line Producer Gabriel Geagea sits down with Acton Institute’s college interns from our Emerging Leaders program, Grace Hemmeke and Kara Wheeler, to discuss what it is like to be a young woman on a college campus in 2021.  A University’s purpose is to train students in developing skills needed to perform a job and instill a desire for the pursuit o