On Fridays we bring you the week’s best from around the web. This week’s round-up includes a conservative defense of government, an interview with a Congressman and Member of Parliament on policies that help the poor, and more.
“Government Is Not the Enemy” by Peter Wehner, The New York Times
Too often, Republicans express a purely negative vision of government. This is both politically perilous and intellectually inadequate. Republicans oppose the liberal vision of the role of the state because they support a different, conservative vision. They need to articulate that vision, since many presidential voters will be reluctant to give their trust to leaders who have nothing but contempt for the government they wish to run.
“The Mobility Crisis” by Yuval Levin, Commentary
We Americans have always prided ourselves on the extraordinary degree of mobility this country has long made possible for its citizens—the idea that, with hard work and a little luck, an immigrant or a child of poor parents can start out with nothing and end up successful and rich. But in fact, by many measures, the United States actually does not stand out among advanced economies in terms of economic mobility, and it has not for decades.
”Banter #175: Rep. Todd Young and MP Iain Duncan Smith”
On this episode of AEI’s Banter podcast, Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (and a Member of Parliament) Iain Duncan Smith discuss policies and initiatives that they have undertaken to alleviate poverty.
“The Terrible Loneliness of Growing Up Poor in Robert Putnam’s America” by Emily Badger, The Washington Post
The poor children in “Our Kids” are missing so much more than material wealth. They have few mentors. They’re half as likely as wealthy kids to trust their neighbors. The schools they attend offer fewer sports, and they’re less likely to participate in after-school activities. Even their parents have smaller social networks.
“Did the Garden of Eden Contain All the Capital We Need for Flourishing?” by Anne Bradley, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics
God in his creation provided all things that we would ever need to flourish, and we are called to cultivate and improve our environment and those around us with these things.
