# Acton Institute A 501(c)(3) think tank founded in **1990** by Catholic priest **Father Robert Sirico** and businessman **Kris Alan Mauren** in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Named after **Lord Acton** ("power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"), the Acton Institute's core mission is the theological legitimation of free-market capitalism — arguing that economic liberty is not merely compatible with Christian teaching but is a moral imperative derived from it. Acton is the **religion-and-economics bridge** in the right-wing think tank ecosystem: it takes the deregulatory, anti-welfare-state policy positions of the [[Koch Network]] and [[Heritage Foundation]] and wraps them in Catholic social teaching, Protestant theology, and interfaith "religious liberty" framing. Its audience is clergy, seminarians, religious academics, and politically engaged Christians who might be skeptical of purely secular libertarian arguments. ## How it works ### The theological argument Acton's intellectual project is to resolve what mainstream Christian social teaching treats as a tension — between the market's productive capacity and its tendency to generate inequality — by arguing that the tension doesn't exist. Key claims: - **Private property is a moral right** rooted in biblical stewardship, not a social convention subject to redistribution - **The welfare state undermines human dignity** by replacing voluntary charity with coerced transfer, damaging both giver and receiver - **Regulation harms the poor** by raising costs and restricting economic freedom, which Acton frames as a form of structural sin - **Environmental regulation is anti-human** — Acton has been one of the most active religious organizations promoting climate skepticism and opposing environmental regulation, through its "Environmental Stewardship" program ### The pipeline Acton's influence operates through several channels: **Acton University** — An annual multi-day conference in Grand Rapids (and regional events) that brings together hundreds of clergy, seminarians, and religious leaders for lectures on free-market economics, property rights, and "the theology of liberty." Attendees leave with a framework for preaching free-market principles from the pulpit — effectively a training program for economically conservative clergy. **Publications** — *Journal of Markets & Morality* (peer-reviewed), *Religion & Liberty* (magazine), and a steady output of books, monographs, and policy briefs that provide theological cover for economic libertarianism. **Media** — Acton produces documentaries, podcasts, and commentary designed for Christian media ecosystems. Their 2014 film *Poverty, Inc.* (critical of foreign aid and development NGOs) won festival awards and circulated widely in evangelical circles. ## Donor network Acton's funding connects it to the broader Koch-aligned dark money infrastructure. Major donors have included the **DeVos family** (Grand Rapids neighbors and major Republican donors), Koch-connected foundations, and DonorsTrust/Donors Capital Fund (the "dark money ATM" of the conservative movement). Acton is an [[Atlas Network]] partner, placing it in the global network of 500+ free-market think tanks. ## KB significance Acton is the institutional answer to a strategic question: **how do you sell libertarian economics to an audience whose moral framework is communitarian and whose scriptures emphasize care for the poor?** The answer is theological reframing — present deregulation as stewardship, tax cuts as subsidiarity, and the welfare state as a violation of human dignity. This makes Acton a key node in understanding how the Koch network's economic agenda achieves buy-in from religious constituencies who might otherwise resist it. The institute also illustrates the **religious liberty → economic liberty pipeline**: organizations that begin by defending religious freedom (a broadly popular cause) gradually expand "liberty" to encompass opposition to regulation, taxation, and environmental protection. Acton is further along this pipeline than most — its environmental skepticism programming is as developed as its religious liberty work. ## See Also - [[Koch Network]] — donor ecosystem - [[Atlas Network]] — global think tank network (Acton is a partner) - [[Heritage Foundation]] — peer institution in the conservative think tank ecosystem - [[Christian Nationalism]] — the broader political movement - [[Mont Pelerin Society]] — the intellectual ancestor of the free-market think tank model