Allen Starling Johnson, Jr. Distinguished Lecturer Series
Markets, Government, and the Church with Becky Blank (University of Wisonsin-Madison)
Date: 03/30/2016 (Wed)
Time: 5:30pm- 6:15pm
Location: Seminar will be held on-site: Fleishman Commons, Sanford School of Public Policy
Organizer: Sarah Tung
Meeting Schedule: (Not currently open for scheduling. Please contact the seminar organizer listed above.)
All meetings will be held in the same location as the seminar unless otherwise noted.
5:30pm - Seminar Presentation (5:30pm to 6:15pm)
Additional Comments: In a time of widespread distrust of the outcomes of markets (deep recessions, widening inequality) and government (deep partisanship, inability to address long-term problems), it is interesting to think about the interplay between markets, government, and civil institutions, including the church. At various points in time, individuals seeking to understand a changing world and what constitutes ‘right action’ on their part have looked to these three entities for guidance. Markets have an enormous power to organize economic activity and have been a major source of wealth creation. But market failure is a well-known phenomenon, although its extent is hotly debated. The government interaction with markets takes multiple forms. Government enforces the laws and establishes the structures under which markets operate, but governments also intervene directly in the operation of markets. Much of the public debate over the role of government in markets can be thought of as a debate over societal values around market outcomes and where they need to be limited or even banned. Many religious traditions in the U.S., including a growing number in Protestant Christianity, have somewhat uncomfortable relations with both the market and with government, sometimes acting as partner with market and government, but often trying to claim an outside voice. Dr. Blank’s talk will reflect on how the interaction between markets and government affects the church and suggest how the church might relate to these foundational structures of American society.