The Pillars of Reaganomics is a collection of the greatest hits of those Laffer Associates papers, from the 1980s through 2005. In the main, these papers have not only been left unconsulted by historians—they have not been made available to the public generally. What they represent is no less than the comprehensive running commentary of the implementation of the supply-side revolution.

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Brian Domitrovic holds a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University, where he also did work in the economics department. The chairman of the Department of History at Sam Houston State University, he has written for numerous scholarly and popular publications. He is author of Econoclasts: The Rebels Who Sparked the Supply-Side Revolution and Restored American Prosperity (2009), and writes a weekly column at Forbes.com under the byline “Past & Present.”

Now that the government is the biggest sponsor of casino gaming, all of us—even those who never visit casinos—have to ask, are we turning a blind eye to a government-sponsored predator that creates false community, drains personal finances, and undermines dignity for those most vulnerable among us? Read this first-hand report from the glitzy, senior-filled trenches of “Casino Land.”

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A minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Amy Ziettlow has served in congregations in Illinois and Louisiana. She writes for the Huffington Post and the Atlantic Wire. For over a decade, she has been actively involved in hospice care, most recently as COO for The Hospice of Baton Rouge, as well as serving as a chaplain visiting dying patients and their families and coordinating and training hospice volunteers.

Why Casinos Matter is part of a series of investigations called “Casino Land: America in an Age of Inequality” being conducted by the Institute for American Values and its partners. The goal is to understand the meaning and role of casinos in American life — how they work and what they do, the values they embody and transmit, their impact on civil society, their connection to government, and their relationship to the rise of American inequality.

The Institute for American Values began its work on thrift-—the ethic of wise use—-in 2004, when they were invited to partner with the John Templeton Foundation in a scholarly exploration of thrift as an American value. What they discovered was a forgotten history–but more importantly, IAV’s research uncovered limitless contemporary possibilities in an irreplaceable virtue.

“We see thrift as a comprehensive and transformative lens to inspire and measure the aspirations of more productive, self-reliant, imaginative and resilient—in short thriving—individuals and communities,” says the Institute. “In the area of thrift education, our dream is for every young American to benefit from at least one module of high-quality thrift education before reaching age 18, through a school, library, youth-serving organization, or financial services organization.”

With American Thrift: A Reader, David Blankenhorn and Andrew F. Kline provide a key resource in the pursuit of that goal.

For several decades we Americans have lived in a debt culture. We spent more money than we earned, neglected to save, and wasted precious resources. This debt culture was never sustainable. Today nearly everyone realizes that it has failed. Now the question is: What should replace it? We believe that now is the time to replace the debt culture with a new culture of thrift. The two resources contained in this document, the Thrift Quiz and Thrift Index, provide valuable information about the current vitality of thrift culture in America.

Distinguished as “The Father of Supply-Side Economics” for his economic acu­men and influence in triggering a worldwide tax-cutting movement in the 1980s, Arthur Laffer was a member of President Ronald Reagan’s Economic Policy Ad­visory Board during both of Reagan’s terms. Laffer served as a distinguished professor at the University of Southern California and at Pepperdine University, and was also a member of the board of directors at Pepperdine. Previously, he was a professor at the University of Chicago and a consultant to Treasury Secretary William Simon, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and Treasury Secretary George Shultz, under whom he was named the first-ever Chief Economist at the Office of Management and Budget. He received his B.A. from Yale University and his M.B.A. and Ph.D. from Stanford University, all in economics.

What They Are Saying:

“California is in great need of fresh and creative thinking if we are to fix its economic and fiscal problems and recreate the sense of optimism and opportunity this state has always embodied. Eureka! Is chock full of interesting ideas and insights that should help start a badly needed conversation about how to put the gold back into the Golden State. It is a straightforward, timely, and valuable reading for anyone interested in the role of taxes and fiscal policy in one of the world’s largest and most innovative economies.” — Charles Schwab, founder and chairman, Charles Schwab Corporation

“Those who think of economics as ‘the dismal science’ will stand up and cheer after reading this book. Dr. Laffer is optimistic about California’s future, and with good cause: if we follow his sound advice, the state’s future will indeed be golden once again.” — Christopher C. Cox, former U.S. House leader (R-CA) and chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

“Dr. Arthur Laffer provides a clear-headed diagnosis of how California ruined its prosperity and writes a realistic prescription to recover its future. Eureka! How to Fix California offers a glimmer of hope for every Californian and a cautionary tale for every American.” — Tom McClintock, member of Congress (R-CA)

“Art Laffer’s unprecedented analysis of California’s fiscal and economic policies show without a doubt that the most effective fix to the state’s problems is a low flat tax. Eureka! is a wake-up call to all Californians that we need another Prop. 13-style revolution if we are to turn around the state.” — Jon Coupal, president, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

“The Golden State has become the Golden Bust thanks to dysfunctional policies in Sacramento. Arthur Laffer provides a policy roadmap for how to fix what has gone terribly wrong in a state that was once America’s richest, most dynamic and most desirable place to raise a family and grow a business. Every citizen and every politician who cares about California’s future should read this book.” — Steve Moore, editorial writer, Wall Street Journal

The Acton Institute is an ecumenical think-tank dedicated to the study of free- market economics informed by religious faith and moral absolutes.

The Acton Institute is an ecumenical think-tank dedicated to the study of free- market economics informed by religious faith and moral absolutes.