Acton Line

Acton Line

Dedicated to the promotion of a free and virtuous society, Acton Line brings together writers, economists, religious leaders, and more to bridge the gap between good intentions and sound economics.

Episodes

Clara Piano on Markets, Morals, and Vocations Professional and Personal

August 27, 2025 • 51 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Clara Piano, visiting assistant professor of economics at the University of Mississippi and an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute. Clara tells the story of how Fr. Robert Sirico, along with Pope St. John Paul II and Michael Novak, inspired her to start thinking through the moral case for the free economy as an undergraduate as well as her trajectory as a scholar. How is the idea that ma...
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Jenna Robinson on the Crisis in Higher Ed and the Prospects for Academic Renewal

August 20, 2025 • 62 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Jenna Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. They discuss current crises in American higher education and what can be done to resolve them. Is there too much or too little money in higher education? How should colleges and universities think about their role in preparing students for work and careers? What is the role of the university in forming citizens? Why...
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Samuel Gregg Remembers the Thoroughly Catholic Capitalist Michael Novak

August 13, 2025 • 59 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Samuel Gregg, president of and Friedrich Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research. He is also an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute. They discuss his new essay “Michael Novak the Thoroughly Catholic Capitalist,” published in the Summer 2025 issue of Religion & Liberty. How was the American Catholic milieu of the first half of the 20th...
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Dave Hebert Unpacks America’s Recent Economic Policy Missteps

August 6, 2025 • 61 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dave Hebert, a senior research fellow at AIER and an affiliate scholar here at the Acton Institute. They discuss the American economy from all angles. What do the latest GDP numbers mean in the real economy? Why are the new tariffs announced by the White House troubling? How does the Bureau of Labor Statistics do its job—and are the latest jobs numbers “rigged”? Will new tariff revenue put a ...
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Acton Rundown | August 2025

August 4, 2025 • 12 mins
This month on the Acton Rundown: Dan and Mark chat about upcoming Acton events and announce two new affiliate scholars. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton’s 2025 Emerging Leaders Marcel van Hattem on the Fight for Freedom in Brazil Why I Slept on the Streets for a Year – Religion & Liberty Online Why Brazil?: Pursuing Freedom in the Americas: Berlanza, Lucas, Catharino, Alex, Pinheiro, John C: 97982187006...
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Acton’s 2025 Emerging Leaders

July 30, 2025 • 33 mins
On today’s episode, Noah Gould, Acton’s Alumni and Student Programs manager, speaks to three members of the Emerging Leaders Program. The Acton Emerging Leaders Program is an 8-week leadership-development internship in Grand Rapids, Mich. The program brings together a cohort of student leaders from across the nation and around the globe for a transformative experience. During the summer, Emerging Leaders will gain professional exp...
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Kevin Vallier Is Infusing Fusionism with New Arguments

July 23, 2025 • 53 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Kevin Vallier, professor of philosophy at the University of Toledo, where he is associate director at the Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership and affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute. They discuss his new essay, “The Fusionist Manifesto,” published in the Summer 2025 issue of Religion & Liberty. Do critics of the fusionist tradition in American conservatism have a ...
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How the CEO of America’s Future Is Preparing for America’s Future

July 16, 2025 • 65 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Eric Kohn, CEO of America’s Future. They discuss just that—and what the organization Eric leads is doing to make that future a bright one. What are the ideas that animated America at its founding, and how do we best transmit them to a new generation? What are the sociological dimensions of building up the liberty movement in America? How can young people build skills and community—and have a ...
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David Bahnsen on the State of the U.S. Economy

July 9, 2025 • 63 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with David Bahnsen, founder, managing partner, and CIO of The Bahnsen Group. With an ever-shifting policy environment and ever-expanding public debt, what is the state of the American economy? How have tariffs and interest rate policy affected economic growth? Why is the housing sector so crucial to the economy? What are the prospects for economic growth in the near future, and will AI revolutioni...
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Acton Rundown | July 2025

July 7, 2025 • 11 mins
This month on the Acton Rundown: Dan and Mark recap Acton University 2025 and discuss Acton’s upcoming events and publications. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Religion and Liberty Online Acton University Acton On-Demand Marcel van Hattem on the Fight for Freedom in Brazil Silicon Valley Revival?
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Marcel van Hattem on the Fight for Freedom in Brazil

July 2, 2025 • 74 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Marcel van Hattem, a Brazilian politician, journalist, and political scientist who is an elected federal representative of the State of Rio Grande do Sul in Brasilia. They begin by discussing Brazil’s history, people, and culture. The conversation then turns to the ongoing constitutional crises and how the Supreme Court’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies have threatened the rule of law, ...
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Silicon Valley Revival?

June 25, 2025 • 50 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dan Churchwell, director of programs and education at the Acton Institute, and A. Trevor Sutton, senior pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church, about their essay “The Gospel According to Silicon Valley,” which is the cover story for the Summer 2025 issue of Religion & Liberty.   Is there a Christian revival going on in Silicon Valley? How might technology shape and be shaped by a renewal of Chr...
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A Preview of Acton University 2025

June 18, 2025 • 36 mins
On today’s episode, Dan Hugger speaks to Dan Churchwell, Acton’s director of programs and education, about what people can expect at Acton University 2025. They share some favorite memories from past years, look forward to some special guests this year, and dive in to what makes this conference unique. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here Acton University Acton On-Demand If you’d like to support this podcast, you ...
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Acton Line: Now on Video!

June 16, 2025 • 11 mins
Today, Acton librarian Dan Hugger and podcast producer Mark Townsend announce that the podcast will be on video going forward. They reveal the new podcast studio, talk about how recent economic events forced them to move quickly, and discuss the joys of flailing-arm tube men. Subscribe to our podcasts Acton On-Demand If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review at Apple Podcasts. If you have que...
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Technological Threats to Liberty

June 11, 2025 • 63 mins
On today episode, Acton’s director of programs and education, Dan Churchwell, speaks to Philip Bunn, assistant professor of political science at Covenant College. They discuss his Acton Lecture Series presentation “The Heart of a Machine: Technological Threats to Liberty in Adam Smith and Beyond.” Subscribe to our podcasts Acton Lecture Series Philip D. Bunn
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The Role of Business in Society

June 4, 2025 • 45 mins
On today’s episode, Acton librarian Dan Hugger speaks with James Otteson from Acton University 2024. They discuss Adam Smith and what he tells us about the role of business in society. Subscribe to our podcasts Acton University Acton On-Demand James Otteson | Mendoza College of Business
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Who Benefitted from DEI Initiatives?

May 28, 2025 • 59 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Isaac Willour, journalist and analyst at Bowyer Research. They discuss his Religion and Liberty Online essay “America Poured Billions into DEI Initiatives. Who Benefited?” What ideology underlies diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives? How did DEI take root in corporate America, and why is it now in retreat? What roles do journalism, shareholder activism, and employee initiative play in...
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An Ascetic Way of Life in a World of Abundance

May 21, 2025 • 54 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with Dylan Pahman, research fellow and executive editor of the Journal of Markets and Morality at the Acton Institute. They discuss his recently published essay “An Ascetic Way of Life in a World of Abundance,” an adaptation of a chapter from Dylan’s forthcoming book, The Kingdom of God & the Common Good (Ancient Faith, 2025). How is Orthodox Social Thought shaped by liturgical theology? Why shoul...
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Pope Leo XIV and 'New Things'

May 14, 2025 • 58 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with John Pinheiro, director of research at the Acton Institute, and Daniel Wagner, chair of the philosophy department and director of Catholic Studies at Aquinas College, about the election of Pope Leo XIV. Why is the election of an American pope so surprising? How is his choice of name significant? How will the legacy of Pope Leo XIII in philosophy and Catholic Social Teaching inform Leo XIV’s p...
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All Things Conclave

May 7, 2025 • 59 mins
In this episode, Dan Hugger speaks with the Acton Institute’s John Pinheiro, director of research, and Michael Miller, director of the Center for Social Flourishing, about all things conclave.  Why are conclaves important? What should people make of the horse race coverage in the media? What sort of qualities does the Church need most in her next pope? Subscribe to our podcasts What to Expect at the Conclave | Religion & Liberty...
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