Acton Unwind

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This week, host Dan Hugger is joined by John Pinheiro, Anthony Bradley, and Dylan Pahman to discuss the results of the 2024 U.S. elections. What do the results say about American society, its politics, its parties, and its future? A wide-ranging conversation from pre-election polls to possible party futures. Subscribe to our podcasts   2024 Presidential Election Results | AP News Exit poll results...

This week, host Dan Hugger is joined by Dylan Pahman and Anthony Bradley to ask, what should politics look like in church? A highly polarizing election season is upon us and debates about church involvement in politics and how difficult political questions are discussed in church have renewed vigor. How does the way particular churches and religious traditions navigate politics differs according t...

This week, host Dan Hugger is joined by Dylan Pahman and Noah Gould to ask, Are those jobs numbers fake? Can we trust economic data, and do they tell the whole economic story? They then discuss the emerging bipartisan consensus that America should “build, baby, build” to address housing shortages and rising costs. How does such a consensus emerge, and is this a positive development? The panel conc...

This week, host Dan Hugger is joined by Anthony Bradley and James Patterson to discuss James’ recent essay at Law & Liberty: “Into the Reactionary Abyss.” Why are post-liberal Catholics drawing on European reactionary thinkers to critique liberalism? Why is the use of such sources dubious? And how do the arguments of public intellectuals form and deform young people? The panel then counts the cost...

This week, new host Dan Hugger is joined by Noah Gould and Dan Churchwell to discuss the recent unrest in Bangladesh, why the rule of law matters, and the importance of religious liberty to free societies. They then explore Vice President Harris’ selection of Minnesota governor Tim Walz as her running mate. What does this mean for the Democratic Party and for the presidential race going forward? I...

This week, it’s Eric’s final episode hosting Acton Unwind. Bye, Eric! He’s joined by David and Dan to discuss the national debt hitting $35 trillion. That seems bad. Then they discuss Republican VP nominee J.D. Vance’s recent comments that it would be worth $10 million to save a single toaster-manufacturing job in America. That seems expensive. And finally, the stock market is tanking. How bad is...

This week, Eric and Dan are joined by Mike Cosper of Christianity Today to discuss last week’s firing and then un-firing of ERLC president Brent Leatherwood and the subsequent resignation of ERLC board chairman Kevin Smith. What happened there, why, and what does it tell us about the political battles going on in the church? Then, is it worth being angry or upset over the blasphemous parts of the...

This week, Eric is joined by Dylan and Peter Balos from Acton’s Emerging Leaders class to discuss President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection. Is this a sign that our institutions are healing and that they’re starting to act in furtherance of their long-term interests? Then they examine former president Donald Trump’s choice of Ohio senator J.D. Vance as his vice presidential running mat...

This week, Eric is joined by Dan Hugger, Anthony Bradley, and Stephanie Slade of Reason magazine as they discuss the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump over the weekend. Then they turn their attention to the National Conservatism 4 conference that took place last week in Washington, D.C. What is the state of this movement, where does it seem to be headed, and who were the stand...

This week, Eric is joined first by Justin Brierley to discuss his essay in the Summer 2024 issue of Religion & Liberty, “The ‘God' of the ‘Philosophers,’” a review of the book “Philosophers on God: Talking about Existence,” edited by Jack Symes. Then Eric is joined by Dylan and Dave to discuss the current state of America and the Constitution in the wake of the country’s 248th birthday. They then...

This week, Eric, Anthony, and Emily are joined by Aaron Pomerantz, a post-doctoral research fellow at Rice University who specializes in conspiracy theories. They begin by discussing the first presidential debate through the lens of an observation by Anthony: that what we’re seeing is people caring more about politics than about Joe Biden’s well-being. Then Aaron shares his thoughts on why conspir...

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan are joined by AEI’s Christine Rosen to discuss her cover essay for the Summer edition of Religion & Liberty, "Can Americans Learn to Trust Again?” Why has social trust eroded in America, and what can be done to restore it? Then, would warning labels on social media like we have on cigarettes protect children, or anyone, from its harms? And finally, Cornerstone Unive...

This week, Eric, Noah, and Emily discuss the secret recording of SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. What will be the long-term consequences of these attacks on the legitimacy of the Supreme Court—one of the few institutions left that Americans still have faith in? Next, actor-director Rob Reiner has co-produced a new documentary on the threat of Christian Nationalism. Noah...

This week, Eric, Dan, and David discuss the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation/Ticketmaster. Is there anything the federal government can do to appease unhappy Taylor Swift fans who couldn’t get tickets to the Eras Tour? And, more importantly, is Live Nation literally a monopoly? Next, the United States’ trade deficit surged by 9% in April. Does it matter? How concerned...

This week, Eric and Dan are joined by Jeffrey Polet to discuss his essay in the Spring 2024 issue of Religion & Liberty, “The Teacher as Prophet: John Dewey’s Liberating Education.” How did Dewey’s vision shape education in America and how is he still influential today? Next, Emily joins the conversation about Kansas City Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker’s commencement address heard ’round the w...

This week, Eric and Noah are joined by Acton’s Dan Hugger to discuss his essay in the Spring 2024 issue of Religion & Liberty, “The Rambler and the Transformative Power of Magazines.” Why, even in an age of digital publishing, have print magazines endured? Then the group looks at legislation that has recently moved in Congress to add a definition of anti-Semitism to Title VI of the Civil Rights Ac...

This week, Eric, Anthony, and Emily are joined by Gene Edward Veith to discuss his essay “Sheen and Maier: Broadcasting Theology,” which explores the broadcast ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier. Then, are frat bros the heroes we’ve been waiting for, pushing back on the radical protests on elite college campuses and defending the American flag? And finally, Florida has banned lab-gr...

This week, Eric, Dylan, and Dan are joined by Karen Swallow Prior to discuss her essay in the new Spring 2024 issue of Religion & Liberty, “Who Will Comfort Me? The Total Care of Cicely Saunders” and issues of, literally, life and death. Then Eric, Dylan, and Dan discuss the place of free markets within the conservative movement and how college administrations should be dealing with the protest en...

This week, Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss the death of O.J. Simpson and examine how the combination of his celebrity and his criminal trial launched a thousand cultural ships, including reality TV, true-crime obsession, and the 24/7 news cycle. Next, Belgian politicians tried to shut down the National Conservatism Conference, only to have it saved by liberal institutions. Oh, the irony. And finally,...

This week, Eric, Noah, and David Hebert, making his maiden voyage on the podcast, discuss squatters’ rights: Do they really exist? And if so, how big a problem are they really?. Then, has the problem with industrial policy been that we just weren’t doing it right all these years? Sen. Marco Rubio thinks so. Oh, and a new California minimum-wage law for fast-food workers has taken effect. Our futur...

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan are joined by Mike Cosper of Christianity Today to discuss his cover essay in the latest issue of Religion & Liberty, “There Shall Be None to Make Him Afraid: American Liberty and the Jews.” Then they turn their attention to controversial LSU basketball coach Kim Mulkey to explore how hard-driving and tough-coaching styles fit in the modern world and what it means f...

This week, Dan Hugger, Noah Gould, and Emily Zanotti discuss the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Maryland. They then turn their attention to the announcement of the God Bless the USA Bible, the only Bible endorsed by President Trump and country music sensation Lee Greenwood. What does this reveal about the state of religion, politics, and culture in America today? And finally, is it time to r...

This week, Eric, Anthony, and Dan discuss the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple for alleged monopolistic practices in the smartphone market. They then turn their attention to a strange essay in National Affairs on the “Soft Tyranny of Smartphones” and explore whether a desire to use a smartphone less requires government action. And finally, should we be concerned about Elon M...

This week, Eric, Noah, and Emily discuss the legislation moving through Congress that would force the sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or ban the app’s availability in the United States. Are the national security issues serious enough to trump all other concerns about setting such a precedent? Then the panel turns its attention to Ben Shapiro’s comments about work and ret...