On the episode of Acton Line, Andrew Klavan, award winning novelist, screenwriter, and regular host at the Daily Wire, joins the show to talk about the new Netflix documentary, "Knock Down the House." The new political documentary follows four far left-leaning women during their run for congress in 2018, eventually leading up to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's congressional win. Klavan explains the ideas under girding the movie and why he defines it as propaganda. After that, Acton's co-founder and p...
May 08, 2019•38 min•Ep. 176
On this episode of Acton Line, Caroline Roberts speaks with Andrew Kloster, the deputy director of the Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University, about the student debt crisis. Kloster claims that the student debt crisis is the greatest moral hazard of our nation and explains how he sees the crisis panning out in the future. On the second segment, Acton's director of research, Samuel Gregg, sits down with Mustafa Akyol, senior research fellow at the Cato Institu...
May 01, 2019•41 min•Ep. 175
On this episode, we bring John Baden onto the show. A rancher in Bozeman Montana, Baden has co-founded several organizations dedicated to free market environmentalism including the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE), dedicated to harnessing the power of markets and property rights to improve environmental quality. Baden will be addressing the environmental concerns raised in the Green New Deal and show how free markets can tackle them. After that, Acton's Dan Hugger ...
Apr 24, 2019•45 min•Ep. 174
On this episode of Acton Line, host Caroline Roberts is joined by Acton's director of research, Samuel Gregg, to touch on the historical and religious significance of Notre-Dame in the wake of the fire that consumed much of the cathedral this past Monday. After that, research associate Dan Hugger sits down with Acton's president and co-founder Rev. Robert Sirico to discuss current issues in education, including some of Betsy Devos' policies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...
Apr 17, 2019•43 min•Ep. 173
On this episode of Acton Line, Caroline Roberts speaks with Sarah Estelle, professor of economics at Hope College, to revisit the life and work of F.A. Hayek on the 75th anniversary of the publishing of "The Road to Serfdom." On the second segment, Caroline then speaks with Tyler O'Neil, senior editor at PJ Media, about the film "Unplanned" and how its release highlights issues such as human rights, censorship, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 10, 2019•47 min•Ep. 172
On this episode of Acton Line, Trey Dimsdale, director of program outreach at Acton Institute, sits down with Andrew Graham, attorney at First Liberty Institute, a public interest law firm. Trey and Andrew talk about a current case threatening Bladensburg World War I Memorial in Maryland, known as the Peace Cross. The land on which the cross stands was first privately owned by American Legion and the memorial was erected with privately raised funds. Now the land belongs to the Maryland National ...
Apr 04, 2019•36 min•Ep. 171
On this episode of Acton Line, Acton's director of communications, John Couretas, speaks with Tim Carney, editor at the Washington Examiner and a visiting fellow at AEI. They talk about Tim's new book, "Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse." The "American Dream" is fading away in much of the country, and the problem isn't pure economics, nor is it a case of stubborn old white men falling behind because they refuse embrace progress. Tim argues that the root cause of our...
Mar 27, 2019•32 min•Ep. 170
On this week’s Acton Line podcast we hear about a church-based ministry that engages with the homeless and poor “relationally, responsibly, and compassionately.” James Whitford, executive director of Watered Gardens Gospel Rescue Mission in Joplin, Missouri, joins Acton’s Andrew Vanderput in a thought provoking conversation on private charity and the intensely personal nature of the organization’s outreach. In the second segment, Aquinas College economist David Hebert and Acton’s Tyler Groenenda...
Mar 20, 2019•40 min•Ep. 169
On this episode of Acton Line, Caroline Roberts speaks with Acton's senior editor, Rev. Ben Johnson, about a new study released by a free market think tank in Denmark, claiming that Denmark isn't actually socialist. Although Denmark is regularly cited as a country whose socialist policies have done good, this isn't the whole story. Denmark isn't technically socialist, and the current welfare state program has done harm despite what you may have heard. After that, Alan R. Crippen, II, Chief of Ex...
Mar 13, 2019•43 min•Ep. 168
On this episode of Acton Line, Acton's co-founder and president, Rev. Robert Sirico, sits down with Acton's associate researcher and librarian, Dan Hugger, to discuss the realities of socialism seen specifically in Nicaragua and Venezuela. After that, a redux segment is re-released, featuring 2018 summer intern and student at Grove City College, Noah Gould, who speaks with Javier Avila about inflation, unrest and hope in Venezuela. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 06, 2019•38 min•Ep. 167
On this episode of Acton Line, Caroline Roberts is joined by the founder and president of the Center for American Entrepreneurship, John Dearie, to discuss the state of entrepreneurship in America. Dearie explains why start up innovation and small businesses sustain the economy and alerts us to the danger of declining entrepreneurship in America. Afterwards, occasional host and award winning news anchor, Anne Marie Schieber, speaks with several people about their work ethic, proving that sometim...
Feb 27, 2019•35 min•Ep. 166
On this episode of Acton Line, research associate at the Acton Institute, Jordan Ballor, talks with best-selling author and leading political satirist, P.J. O'Rourke, about his newest book, "None of My Business." O'Rourke will be giving a talk at Acton's upcoming event in Chicago on March 7 and registration is still open. In the second segment, Acton's director of communications, John Couretas, speaks with Ray Nothstine, editor at Civitas Institute, about the film "They Shall Not Grow Old." In d...
Feb 20, 2019•39 min•Ep. 165
On this episode of Acton Line, producer Caroline Roberts speaks with Sarah Estelle, professor of economics at Hope College. Estelle breaks down some common misconceptions about economics and shares what our love for those around us has to do with economics. After that, Acton's Poverty Initiatives Manager, Andrew Vanderput, speaks with Scott Sabin, the executive director at Plant with Purpose. Plant with Purpose is a non-profit organization dedicated to solving both environmental degradation and ...
Feb 13, 2019•36 min•Ep. 164
On this episode of Acton Line, Rev. Ben Johnson, senior editor at Acton, speaks with Rev. Richard Turnbull from the Center for Enterprise, Markets, and Ethics, to talk about the importance of private, voluntary institutions, drawing examples from how things have gone amiss in the UK when the government has stepped in for the church. After that, occasional host Bruce Walker welcomes Emily Jashinsky, culture editor at the Federalist, onto the podcast to discuss how American movies are being increa...
Feb 06, 2019•32 min•Ep. 163
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Caroline Roberts speaks with Stephen Nichols, the president of Reformation Bible College , about the life and work of Francis Schaeffer, 20th century protestant evangelist. After that, host Bruce Edward Walker talks about Netflix's new series, "Watership Down," with John Ehrett, writer, attorney, and editor at the Conciliar Post . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 23, 2019•32 min•Ep. 162
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Acton’s Tyler Groenendal speaks with Dave Hebert, professor of economics at Aquinas College, about the current government shutdown and what effect is has on individuals and businesses. In another segment, we have a conversation about community revitalization with Ashanti Bryant, director of education at AmplifyGR, a nonprofit working to build flourishing neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 16, 2019•42 min•Ep. 161
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, producer Caroline Roberts speaks with Sarah Estelle, associate professor of economics at Hope College. Caroline and Sarah discuss the subject of criminal justice reform in light of the recently passed, bipartisan bill, The First Step Act, covering specific policies in the new bill and effects of the current criminal system. After that, award winning reporter Anne Marie Schieber continues exploring the effects of unemployment. Last week, we showed the importan...
Jan 09, 2019•22 min•Ep. 160
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, John Couretas, Acton's Director of Communications, talks with Daniel J. Mahoney, professor of political science at Assumption College, about the legacy of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in light of Solzhenitsyn's memoir recently released in English, "Between Two Millstones Book I: Sketches of Exile," the first of two books in which Solzhenitsyn recounts his exile in the West. Afterwards, reporter Anne Marie Schieber takes us on the first of a three-part series explor...
Jan 02, 2019•30 min•Ep. 159
On this remastered episode of Radio Free Acton, we revisit an interview with David LaRocca: a philosopher, author, and filmmaker who has released a documentary on Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur Brunello Cuccinelli. Cucinelli has built a successful company by creating high-quality apparel, but more interesting than that is the philosophy that undergirds his business and all of his life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 19, 2018•32 min•Ep. 158
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Senior Editor at Acton, Rev. Ben Johnson, speaks with the Director of the Center for Enterprise, Markets and Ethics, Rev. Richard Turnbull, about the role the Church should take in the market and how that has played out specifically in the UK. After that, Producer Caroline Roberts speaks with Acton’s librarian and research associate, Dan Hugger, about the life and work of the Acton Institute’s namesake, Lord Acton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...
Dec 12, 2018•37 min•Ep. 157
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, producer Caroline Roberts speaks with A.J. Jacobs, journalist and New York Times bestselling author, about his latest book "Thanks a Thousand," detailing his trip around to world to find and thank each person who worked to produce his morning coffee. After that, senior editor at the Acton Institute, Rev. Ben Johnson, speaks with Estonian politician Mari-Ann Kelam about her witness of Soviet occupied Estonia and her work to champion freedom even after the fall...
Dec 05, 2018•30 min•Ep. 156
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, producer Caroline Roberts speaks with Michael Ward, a British Scholar and professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University, about the work of the 20th century writer C.S. Lewis, in time for the anniversary of Lewis' birthday on November 29. After that, host Bruce Walker speaks with Bradley Birzer, professor of history at Hillsdale College, about the legacy of Stan Lee and the new, third season of Marvel's Netflix show, Daredevil. Hosted on Acast. See ac...
Nov 28, 2018•35 min•Ep. 155
In this special thanksgiving episode of Radio Free Acton, occasional host Anne Marie Schieber speaks with Liz Hilton, a designer, entrepreneur and 3D knit innovator. In 2015, Liz founded KNITit in response to the global need for customized knitting and is now finding purpose in helping others with her creativity. Anne also speaks with some of Liz's customers, unraveling a story of gratitude. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 21, 2018•18 min•Ep. 154
On this episode of Radio Free Acton Trey Dimsdale, director of Program Outreach at Acton, speaks with Adam MacLeod, professor of law at Faulkner University, on what is a basic human right and how is the concept understood in the modern world? Then, Senior Editor at Acton, Rev. Ben Johnson, talks about Brexit with Rev. Richard Turnbull from the Center for Enterprise, Markets, and Ethics. They analyze the aftermath of Brexit and the events that led up to the split between Britain and the EU. Hoste...
Nov 14, 2018•35 min•Ep. 153
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Jordan Ballor, Director of Publishing at Acton, speaks with Hunter Baker, Acton Affiliate Scholar, about the need for Christian statesmanship in our current political climate and the attributes of a statesman. Then Bruce Edward Walker and George Nash, American historian, talk about the 70th anniversary of Richard Weaver’s book ‘Ideas have Consequences.’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 07, 2018•37 min•Ep. 152
On this episode of Radio Free Acton: Gleaves Whitney, Director of Grand Valley State University Howenstein Center for Presidential Studies, talks with Hank Meijer, Co-Chairman and CEO of US supermarket chain Meijer, about the story of Arthur Vandenburg (1884-1951), a US senator from Michigan who became one of the founders of modern US foreign policy. Then, Bruce Edward Walker speaks with Ben Lockerd, Professor of English at Grand Valley State University, about the horror fiction of Russell Kirk....
Oct 31, 2018•36 min•Ep. 151
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, award winning news anchor Anne Marie Schieber speaks with James Morgan about his job at Kerkstra Precast, an industrial plant. We get a look into James’ daily work and how he finds meaning and motivation in what he does. Then, Caroline Roberts talks to Phelim McAleer, co-producer of a newly released film "Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer", successful with audiences but since it’s release the film has faced harsh backlash, censorship, and ...
Oct 24, 2018•22 min•Ep. 150
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, Dan Hugger, Research Associate at Acton, speaks with Larry Reed, President of the Foundation for Economic Education, about the question that seems to be cropping up everywhere nowadays: Was Jesus a socialist? Then, Bruce Edward Walker talks to James Matthew Wilson about his new volume of poetry and on why poetry is important today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 17, 2018•30 min•Ep. 149
On this episode of Radio Free Acton, John Couretas, Director of Communications at Acton, speaks with Aaron Rhodes, a human rights activist based out of Hamburg, Germany, about Aaron’s new book "The Debasement of Human Rights." Where does the notion of human rights come from and how can we better defend it? Then Caroline Roberts, Producer of Radio Free Acton, talks to Stephen Smith, Professor of Economics at Hope College, about the new North American trade agreement, the USMCA. They discuss the m...
Oct 10, 2018•29 min•Ep. 148
On this Episode of Radio Free Acton, Dan Churchwell, Director of Program Outreach at Acton, speaks with Nathan Hitchcock, education entrepreneur, about the role of character development and virtue play in education, and what the future of education might look like. Then, Bruce Edward Walker talks to John J. Miller, Director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College and writer at the National Review, about John’s new anthology Reading Around: Journalism on Authors, Artists, and Ideas . T...
Oct 03, 2018•36 min•Ep. 147
