Can the Internal Revenue Service silence a president’s political adversaries by using secret policies? It seems that we’re about to find out. The 17th century French politician and finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, once quipped that, “The art of taxation consists in … Continue reading
Tag Archives: freedom
Ronald Reagan’s core principles and what they may look like today: Q&A with Dr. Paul Kengor
Editor’s note: A version of this Q&A was first published in the Values & Capitalism Blog of the American Enterprise Institute. V&C: How did you decide upon these 11 qualities to encapsulate what it means to be a Reagan conservative? Kengor: I guess I’d … Continue reading
As Putin’s confidence grows, Cold War concerns gain credibility
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Forbes.com. Concerns about reigniting a Cold War gain credibility as Russian President Putin continues his militarism in Ukraine and draws his country into the ongoing crisis in Egypt. Thus, it is time to … Continue reading
STREAMING VIDEO – 2014 – From Wisconsin v. Yoder to Employment Division v. Smith: Do we still have Religious Liberty?
The ultimate sacrifice: Remembering American heroes
Last year on Memorial Day, my wife, daughter and I were touring Cambridge, England. We took a bus ride three miles out of the city to the U.S. military cemetery there–one of 25 American burial grounds administered by the U.S. government … Continue reading
America’s civil religion: Presidents and Memorial Day
Throughout American history presidents have often used religious rhetoric for various reasons: to provide comfort and consolation, argue that God providentially directs our nation, celebrate our Christian heritage, defend democracy, hold citizens and the country accountable to transcendent standards, help … Continue reading
“Heaven is for Real” and the Gospel of Life
Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at thecatholicthing.org. I recently bought the book “Heaven is for Real” and saw the movie. That was unusual for me. I don’t typically do the books and movies everyone else is … Continue reading
A nuclear 1914? Rising stakes in Ukraine and America
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at FoxNews.com. Unrest continues to grow in Ukraine, particularly in light of Sunday’s vote by two eastern regions that overwhelmingly passed a referendum in favor of self-rule. Government buildings continue to fall to Russian … Continue reading
Remembering Gary Becker: A great economist
Dr. Gary Becker, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1992, died Saturday at the age of 83. I was privileged to be a student of Gary Becker at the University of Chicago in the 1980s. He is well … Continue reading
Teacher Appreciation Week: Lunch with Mr. Walters
Last fall I described the apparently miraculous way in which I located the one person in the world I was searching for—my seventh and eighth grade English teacher, Mr. Ted Walters, the man who taught me how to write and think, and … Continue reading
Eliminating poverty and reducing inequality: Is a guaranteed minimum income the answer?
Recently, some commentators have been promoting the idea of a government guaranteed income, where the government would pay a monthly cash payment to every American, regardless of need or merit. A similar idea, the negative income tax, has been discussed … Continue reading
TheBlaze Q&A: An interview with Dr. Paul Kengor
Editor’s note: A longer version of this Q&A first appeared at TheBlaze.com. What do you most hope that readers take away from your book? Kengor: I want Republicans and conservatives to understand the difference between conservatism, libertarianism, and progressivism. As to … Continue reading
STREAMING VIDEO – Faith, Family & Federated
What’s it like to manage $350 billion, including a quarter-trillion in money market funds that countless people depend upon on a daily basis … especially during a financial crisis? It’s a huge responsibility that requires a high degree of financial … Continue reading
The might and majesty of the risen Savior
At Eastertime, Christians rejoice and give praise for the resurrection of mankind’s Savior. Words often fall short of communicating the full magnificence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me try by offering that he was the most complete package ever … Continue reading
Forgiveness Incarnate
On the cross, Christ personified ultimate forgiveness. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Christ is forgiveness incarnate. Our responsibility to “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14) requires us to practice forgiveness. Indeed, … Continue reading
Wrestling with Unions
On March 19, 2014, Grove City College and Center for Vision & Values student fellow alumnus Jarrett Skorup ’09 spoke to nearly 100 guests at the Freedom Readers Economic Dessert Series. Skorup, a research associate at the Mackinac Center for … Continue reading
The politics of St. Paul
In Romans 13:1-7 the apostle Paul writes: “[A ruler] is the minister of God to thee for good” (v. 3); “Wherefore ye must needs be subject…” (v. 5); “…pay ye tribute [taxes]” (v. 6). St. Paul seems to be saying … Continue reading
The left’s evolving hierarchy of rights
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at TheBlaze.com. Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ve noticed the growing clash between religious freedom and issues like same-sex marriage and forced funding of abortion. Last week, the Supreme Court heard a landmark … Continue reading
Recent presidents and religious liberty
American presidents have played a major role in fostering religious liberty at home and abroad. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison strongly supported the separation of church and state and freedom of worship. Washington used his enormous influence as both commander in … Continue reading
STREAMING VIDEO – 2014 – Distrust, Tyranny & the Bill of Rights
Dr. Ronald J. Rychlak, Butler Snow professor of law at the University of Mississippi, speaks before more than 125 guests at the American Founders Luncheon Series in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on March 18, 2014.