On this episode, Chris and regular guest Dr. Jon Schaff unpack an economic and social idea known as distributism. Rooted in the social teaching of Pope Leo XIII, Pope Pius XI, and others, distributism contains critiques of both unfettered capitalism and socialism, and exhorts society to seek widespread (“distributed”) ownership of capital by small business owners, farmers, and so forth. According to distributism, there are great dangers to freedom and human dignity when capital and power is greatly concentrated in either the state, or in the hands of a very small number of commercial corporations. For more on distributism and its foundations in the magisterium, see this article by Dr. Jared Staudt, the Director of Formation for the Offices of Evangelization and Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Denver and teaches for the Augustine Institute.
Faith & Politics
F&P Episode 115: South Dakota’s Pivotal Moment on Abortion
South Dakota’s 2023 legislative session marked the first time that state lawmakers had gathered since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its June 24, 2022 decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and restored to the states the ability to set their own public policy on abortion. Host Michael Pauley is joined by Dale Bartscher, the Executive Director of South Dakota Right to Life, for a discussion on how state lawmakers responded to the Dobbs decision, and how South Dakota’s pro-life community is responding to a citizen-initiated amendment that proposes to create an unlimited right to abortion in the state constitution.