Acton Line

On 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 large? What does that budget say about our political system and the desires and priorities of the public and politicians? In this episode, Eric Kohn sits down with Dr. David Hebert, chair of the economics department and associate professor of economics at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, to discuss his recent article for the American Institute for Economic Research using the Powerball to explain the size and scope of the federal budget. David Hebert graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from Hillsdale College in 2009, and then attended George Mason University, where he earned a master's in 2011 and a doctorate in 2014. During graduate school, he was an F.A. Hayek fellow with the Mercatus Center and a fellow with the Department of Health Administration and Policy. He also worked with the Joint Economic Committee in the U.S. Congress. Since graduating, he has worked as an assistant professor at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, and Troy University in Troy, Alabama. He was also a fellow with the U.S. Senate Budget Committee, where he authored a comprehensive report on federal budget process reform. Subscribe to our podcastsRegister Now for Business Matters 2023Apply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing)Taxes, Spending, and Powerball Winnings by David Hebert | AEIR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 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 liberty. He thereby points to the union of faith and liberty, which has been the Acton Institute’s inspiration. In describing the Institute’s purpose, Acton’s president emeritus, Rev. Robert Sirico, has said: “Acton realized that economic freedom is essential to creating an environment in which religious freedom can flourish. But he also knew that the market can function only when people behave morally. So faith and freedom must go hand in hand. As he put it, ‘Liberty is the condition which makes it easy for conscience to govern.’” So who was Lord Acton? In this episode, Eric Kohn, Acton’s director of marketing & communications, sits down with Dan Hugger, Acton’s librarian, a research associate, and editor of the book Lord Acton: Historical and Moral Essays, to discuss Lord Acton: his work, his beliefs, his life, and his legacy.Subscribe to our podcastsRegister Now for Business Matters 2023Apply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing) Lord Acton: Historical and Moral Essays | Dan Hugger Lord Acton: A Study in Conscience and Politics | Gertrude Himmelfarb Lord Acton: Historian and Moralist | Samuel Gregg Selected Writings of Lord Acton | J. Rufus Fears The Pope and the Professor: Pius IX, Ignaz von Dollinger, and the Quandary of the Modern Age | Thomas Albert Howard 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. Subscribe to our podcastsRegister Now for Business Matters 2023Apply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing)Book | Beatles & Economics Pope John Paul, George, and Ringo on the harms of high taxes  Music contained in this episode:Getting Better | The Beatles | 1967I Want to Hold Your Hand | The Beatles | 1963Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | The Beatles | 1967Here Comes the Sun | The Beatles | 1969Everything in its Right Place | Radiohead | 2000Come Together | The Beatles | 1969Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) | The Beatles | 1965Tomorrow Never Knows | The Beatles | 1966Strawberry Fields Forever | The Beatles | 1966Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds | The Beatles | 1967Revolution | The Beatles | 1968 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel 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 universal benevolent monotheism, and Christianity in particular, has led to the articulation of a specific social grammar and corresponding rights—in short Adam Smith’s “liberal plan.” Subscribe to our podcastsDr. Klein’s faculty pageFull discussion of Larry Siedentop’s book:Full set of notes on SiedentopKlein published interview on Siedentop:Klein replies to Deirdre McCloskey on Siedentop: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For 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 own freedom. This conversation with the filmmakers and interview subjects of The Hong Konger discusses the rise of China, the plight of Hong Kong, the fight for freedom that continues there to this day, and the man at the center of it all: Jimmy Lai.The featured panelists are: Victoria Tin-bor Hui, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Notre Dame Mary Kissel, Former Senior Adviser, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Simon Lee, Former Op/Ed Columnist, Apple Daily Rev. Robert A. Sirico, President Emeritus, Acton Institute, and Executive Producer, THE HONG KONGER Eric Kohn, moderator and Director of Marketing & Communications, Acton Institute, and Associate Producer, THE HONG KONGER Jimmy Lai is currently sitting in a jail cell in Hong Kong awaiting trial on national security law charges. Recently, Lai was granted permission to be represented by a UK barrister in the trial, human rights attorney Tim Owen. That decision to allow Owen to represent Lai is being appealed to Beijing for “clarification.” The trail, which was supposed to start on December 1st has been delayed until December 13, and will almost certainly be delayed even further into the future.Subscribe to our podcastsThe Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 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 sensory experiences, point out the dangers of viewing art merely as self-expression or “art with an agenda”, and draw out beauty’s connection to human freedom, creativity, and flourishing. Subscribe to our podcasts About Margarita Mooney Clayton The Wounds of Beauty: Seven Dialogues on Art and Education (Margarita Mooney Clayton) Beauty: A Very Short Introduction (Roger Scruton)The Face of God (Roger Scruton)The Soul of the World (Roger Scruton)“The Feeling of Things, the Contemplation of Beauty” (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger)Scala Foundation Event: An Interactive Conversation with Aidan HartScala Foundation 2023 Conference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debaters Bryan Caplan and Chris Arnade discuss the causes of poverty, the blame game, the impact of the criminal justice system, the role of faith in impoverished communities, and ways to escape poverty.

In 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 that role, she provided advice to advance the national interests of the United States, conducted special projects for the secretary, and traveled to more than 60 countries.Kissel also appears in Acton's latest documentary film, The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom.Subscribe to our podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How 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 podcastsThe Gift of Disillusionment | Amazon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 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 over the age of 55. By most reports, America now has something on the order of 11 million open jobs yet millions of men and women sitting jobless on the sidelines.Now, in the newly re-released “Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition,” Eberstadt marshals recently released data to explain how this sad state of affairs came to be, what it means for American society, and what it portends for the country’s economic future.Subscribe to our podcastsMen Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition | Amazon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.