Acton Line

On June 23, 2016, Britain voted to exit the European Union, but since then, Members of Parliament have repeatedly delayed Brexit. While Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now fighting to keep Britain's leave from the EU on schedule, establishment MPs are committed to ignoring the democratic voice of the British people. Rev. Richard Turnbull, director of The Center for Enterprise, Markets, and Ethics, helps explain the chaos surrounding recent events unfolding in Parliament and what the future likely holds for Brexit. On the second segment, Christopher Scalia, eighth child of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, joins the podcast to talk about a book on his father's faith, titled "On Faith: Lessons from an American Believer."

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On November 16, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) into law, a bill backed by nearly unanimous bipartisan support. While RFRA has since then protected the religious liberty of American citizens, it has lost many of its original supporters and is now under attack. So why was RFRA signed into law in the first place? Does the bill truly protect religious pluralism? Daniel Mark, a professor of political science at Villanova University, helps answer these questions. On the second segment, Jared Pincin, a professor of economics at The King's College, sheds light on the concern that a recession is around the corner. Unemployment rates are low, but America's trade war with China and growing national debt are causing many to believe that we're headed toward economic disaster. Is there reason to panic?

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From Gillette to Pepsi, many companies are starting to market their products by advocating for social justice issues, signaling to consumers that they are "woke." Is woke capitalism a trend that's truly new in the market? Should businesses comment on social issues? Acton's president and co-founder, Rev. Robert Sirico, explains. Afterwards, Daniel J. Mahoney, professor of political science at Assumption College speaks about his newest book, "The Idol of our Age: How the Religion of Humanity Subverts Christianity."

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Cronyism is everywhere, affecting industries, entrepreneurs and customers and distorting the market through political advantage. So what is cronyism and how does it compromise genuine capitalism? Anne Rathbone Bradley, the current academic director at The Fund for American Studies, as well as the vice president of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, comes onto the show to explain how cronyism affects the market and how to combat it. Afterwards, Acton's director of research, Samuel Gregg joins the show to talk about his new book, "Reason, Faith, and the Struggle for Western Civilization." Gregg lays out what he believes defines the West, how the disintegration of reason and faith has caused the West to decline and what can be done to reclaim it.

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In a recent interview for Vogue, Prince Harry declared to British anthropologist Jane Goodall that he and Meghan plan on having only two children, due to environmental concerns. Alarmist predictions about the results of overpopulation is nothing new, of course. Even Goodall herself said in 2010, that "[i]t's our population growth that underlies just about every single one of the problems that we’ve inflicted on the planet." So, is earth really overpopulated? And will having less children save the planet? Stephen Barrows, Acton's managing director of programs, joins the podcast to explain the economics behind the issue and how to thoughtfully approach concerns about the environment. After that, Dr. Eric Larson, Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Michigan State University, takes a look at Medicare for All, explaining current problems in health care as well as just how costly Medicare for All would be.

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A crisis in the adoption and foster system is currently plaguing the nation. With over 400,000 children in need of homes, a shortage of placements is driving some states to desperate measures, even housing children in hotels and office buildings. States should be working to support and safeguard the work of adoption and foster care providers, however discrimination motivated by anti-religious bias is posing an obstacle to some state contracted and private agencies. Kate Anderson, senior legal counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, joins the podcast to explain how faith-based adoption agencies are being increasingly threatened due to their religious beliefs and why faith-based agencies are crucial in the adoption and foster system. On the second segment, President emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education, Larry Reed, speaks with Acton's Samuel Gregg about how many trends of our day echo those of ancient Rome, making the lessons of its fall all the more relevant, even pressing, for us now.

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On July 18, the Raise the Wage Act passed the U.S House of Representatives, a bill that would double federal minimum wage by 2025. Members of Congress who support the bill believe it will increase pay for 27 million workers and lift over one million people out of poverty, but those opposed to the bill say it would cause millions more to lose their jobs. Dave Hebert, professor of economics at Aquinas College, joins the podcast to dispel some of the biggest misconceptions of raising federal minimum wage and what real effects the bill would have. On the second segment, Glenn Harlan Reynolds, professor of law at the University of Tennessee and author of the new book, "The Social Media Upheaval," joins the show to examine the benefits and drawbacks of social media. Glenn argues that social media and especially Twitter is increasingly "poisoning" journalism and politics. How can we reduce big tech censorship and the toll of social media while also respecting free speech?

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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%). Zoltán Kész, co-founder of the Free Market Foundation in Budapest said in 2015 that "Populists are especially dangerous enemies, because they are strategizing in the terms of democratic competition. That is the main principle of populism: gaining power once and never, ever letting it go, reshaping democracy and deconstructing the rule of law step-by-step." Populism poses a threat to freedom by rejecting pluralism and classical liberalism. Where are we seeing populism take shape in America today and how is it effecting our public discourse? Ben Domenech, writer and co-founder of The Federalist, joins us in this episode to break it down.

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In a few short days, thousands of federal inmates will be returning home on "earned good time." That’s a result of The First Step Act, a federal prison reform bill which was signed into law in December. Criminal justice reform advocate Mark Holden joins the show to discuss the new law, why these ex-prisoners should have been freed earlier and what reforms should be made in the future.In 2013, Rose Knick of Scott Township, Pennsylvania, was forced by government agents to allow public access to her property on grounds that there was a suspected gravesite on her land. Knick sued the township and the case worked its way to the Supreme Court. On June 21, justices ruled to restore property right to first class status. Patrick Garry, a professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law and director of the Hagemann Center for Legal & Public Policy Research, explains why the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Knick and put property rights on a firmer foundation.

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On June 14, an International Coalition for Religious Freedom in North Korea was launched, consisting of almost 200 activists, including Thae Yong-ho, a North Korean diplomat and defector to South Korea. President and co-founder of Acton Institute, Rev. Robert Sirico joins the podcast to talk about communism in North Korea as well as his hopes for the coalition. On the second segment, Bruce Ashford, professor of theology at Soueastern Baptist Theological Seminary, addresses the relationship between family and state, plus ways he sees the breakdown of the family unit in America.

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