On a special, tax-focused episode of the Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, chief economist Oren Cass and policy director Chris Griswold join guest host Drew Holden to talk about the brewing fight on Capitol Hill about taxes.The group makes sense of what we learned from the soon-expiring Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the malign legacy of the anti-tax fundamentalism that has animated the Republican Party for decades, and what the American people actually want from the tax code. Finally, they dive into American Compass’s new collection of proposals for fiscally responsible conservative tax reform.Further reading:No Tax Cut Is Free, American Compass“The Fringe Cause That Could Derail the Republican Agenda,” by Oren Cass, New York Times

Just in time for the Super Bowl, Jude Russo, managing editor at the American Conservative joins Oren to discuss the proliferation of online sports betting and the harm done by the technology.The two discuss the damaging consequences—from increased bankruptcies to upticks in domestic violence and beyond—we've seen in states that have allowed the practice and why it shouldn't be treated as just an innocent pastime. Finally, they talk through what can be done to rein in the now-ubiquitous apps undermining fans' enjoyment as we approach sports' biggest night.Further reading: "It's Not Too Late to Ban Online Sportsbook" by Jude Russo.

On this episode, Leah Sargeant, author of Other Feminisms, joins to debunk claims blaming pro-life state laws for the death of expecting mothers in the wake of the Dobbs decision.She and Oren Cass discuss the misleading reporting that ignited these false allegations and diagnose the real problem: the often tragically poor quality of maternal health care. The two unpack why the allegations not only side-step the real conversations needed around supporting pregnant women but also endanger all expecting mothers.And they talk about what a realigned conservative movement should do to support mothers during and, critically, after their babies are born.Further reading:"Pro-Life Laws Didn't Kill These Women" by Leah Sargeant

On this episode, Ethics and Public Policy Center fellow Patrick T. Brown joins guest host and American Compass managing editor Drew Holden to discuss how COVID's remote-work baptism-by-fire led to a surprising boom in babies born during the pandemic.The two talk through the lessons that companies should take away from the experience in order to support working parents as well as why these companies, and society more broadly, should be expected to help share the burdens placed on new parents. And as President Trump returns to the White House, they take stock of the GOP's realignment on how best to support families.Further reading:"Remote Work Created a Baby Boom. Can We Keep It Up?" by Patrick T. Brown

Why would any sane parent subject themselves to the high costs and grueling hours of travel sports teams for their kids?In this episode, Michael Brendan Dougherty, senior writer at National Review, joins to discuss his feature essay on the subject for our just-launched magazine, Commonplace. As a dance and travel baseball dad himself, he explains that these teams are often the only ways kids and parents today can form high-trust communities in an atomized world much different from the one Dougherty grew up in.He and Oren also talk about the conservative media universe more broadly, and how Commonplace can offer an alternative to the legacy publications resistant to the changing interests and priorities of ordinary Americans on the new right-of-center.Further Reading:"In Defense of Travel Teams" by Michael Brendan Dougherty.

President-elect Trump campaigned on a fresh economic platform prioritizing ordinary Americans, departing considerably from the Old Guard Republican Party that came before him. But how much of that innovative thinking will actually become policy in his second term?Oren Cass appeared at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting on a panel alongside former Council of Economic Advisors Jason Furman (Obama admin) and Richard Burkhauser (Trump admin) as well as economist Kimberly Clausing, to make sense of what will come next, and the forces that could try to slow down the president-elect’s changes.This is the second in a two-part series from the discussion, focused on immigration and financial policy. To listen to part one, about trade and industrial policy, click here. And you can read the New York Times story about the panel here: "Economists Are in the Wilderness. Can They Find a Way Back to Influence?"

President-elect Trump campaigned on a fresh economic platform prioritizing ordinary Americans, departing considerably from the Old Guard Republican Party that came before him. But how much of that innovative thinking will actually become policy in his second term?Oren Cass appeared at the American Economic Association's annual meeting on a panel alongside former Council of Economic Advisors Jason Furman (Obama admin) and Richard Burkhauser (Trump admin) as well as economist Kimberly Clausing, to make sense of what will come next, and the forces that could try to slow down the president-elect's changes. This is the first in a two-part series from the discussion, focused on trade and industrial policy. Stay tuned for more soon.

Every political movement needs a home for its ideas. Commonplace is the answer for today’s right-of-center.On this episode, Helen Andrews, our new features editor, joins Oren to discuss the forthcoming launch of Commonplace—a new magazine from American Compass, making sense of the political, economic, and cultural concerns that shape America today.Helen unpacks how a conservative media universe dedicated to replaying the hits of the 1980s created the need for a new intellectual home. Looking ahead, she previews some of the pieces readers can look forward to reading later this month and explains how Commonplace will work to get to the heart of what matters in America.If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Commonplace for updates, and follow the magazine on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Has the devotion to unbridled free markets in recent decades benefited or harmed the United States? Earlier this month, Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) and Oren Cass sat down for a live, wide-ranging discussion of the unintended consequences of America’s approach to manufacturing, and whether free trade is to blame for changes in our domestic industrial base. They explore how conservatives should think about trade and one potential policy response that’s getting lots of air time lately: tariffs.Plus: To be the first to hear about the launch of our new magazine in January, subscribe here: commonplace.org.

On this episode, Oren is joined by FTC Chair Lina Khan for a wide-ranging conversation about competition, antitrust, and why the lack of strong enforcement hurts American consumers, small businesses, and our politics.The two talk through the decline in competition in the U.S. economy and how it has created fragile markets prone to shortages and undermined our economic wellbeing. They explore opportunities for bipartisan cooperation on antitrust enforcement, and what principles should guide competition policy.Plus: Khan explains what chicken farmers taught her about corporate power and the role of fear in our economy.

On this episode, Institute for Progress senior editor Santi Ruiz joins Oren to talk about government efficiency, state capacity, and what President-elect Trump's focus on revitalizing the way government works could hope to accomplish in the swamp. The two discuss Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and how the effort can avoid the pitfalls of previous blue-ribbon commissions and other ineffective efforts to rein in the administrative state. And they walk through why optimizing government requires new investment, not just cutting red-tape.For more, read Ruiz's recent piece on the subject at Statecraft: "How to Fix Defense Procurement."

On this episode, physician, psychologist, and best-selling author Dr. Leonard Sax joins Oren to talk about the disastrous state of modern parenting, and how to pull a generation of young people back from the brink.The two walk through the how parents have abandoned teaching their kids about right and wrong, the rise of "gentle parenting" in place of traditional ideas of parental authority, and how these strategies set kids up for failure. And they two discuss how it all intersects with the rise of social media and caustic cultural changes.For more, check out Dr. Sax's recently re-released book on the subject, The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups.

On this episode, coalition director Duncan Braid joins Oren to discuss American Compass's Back to Work agenda, which provides a comprehensive set of executive actions that the Trump-Vance administration should take to prioritize working families, domestic industry, and national economic strength when they take office.The two discuss how the president can deliver meaningful, rapid change on issues from the border and immigration to the economy and inflation. And the two talk through one of the most contentious battles on the Right today—the issue of tariffs—and how they can be used to put the wellbeing of the American people at the center of trade policy.For more, read Duncan's recent essay on The Commons, about where and how the administration can direct their electoral mandate, "'Great Again' is a Promise."

On this episode, Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow Henry Olsen joins Oren to unpack the demographic earthquake that led to the re-election of President Donald Trump and why it will force both parties to focus on Americans' real interests.The two discuss what the victory holds for the future of a Republican Party grounded in the interests of this multi-ethnic working-class coalition, from shutting down illegal immigration to shifting away from a devotion to free trade, as well as the "landmines" in doing so. And they explain why the win is a death knell for conservatives who want to return to the pre-Trump economic and political consensus. For more, read Olsen's recent piece on The Commons, "Mapping Out the 2024 Stakes."

On this episode, Newsweek opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon joins to explain the multi-ethnic working-class coalition that propelled Donald Trump to an electoral victory, and the types of policies that could support these forgotten Americans in Trump's second term.The two discuss the issues that animated the swing in nonwhite working-class voters and how Donald Trump can build an America that benefits everyone, economically and culturally. For more, read Ungar-Sargon's latest piece on The Commons, "Revolt of the Normies," and pick up her book that anticipated this political realignment, Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Women.

American Compass Chairman Michael Needham joins Oren Cass to share his reaction to former President Donald Trump's landslide election victory. The two explain why, even after all the claims about the "end of democracy" and Trump's supposed autocratic designs, the results shouldn't surprise anyone.And they discuss the political realignment—particularly among Hispanic voters, who turned out for Trump across numerous swing states—that made his victory possible, as well as the promise that his second term holds for a revitalized American economy. For more, read Oren's and Mike's pieces reacting to Trump's victory.

On this episode, Clare Morell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, joins Oren to discuss the consequences of a generation of kids addicted to smartphones and iPads. The two talk through how our society got to the point where kids have unlimited access to the internet and the problem with leaving parents to fight back against social media alone, as well as her forthcoming book on the subject. And they explain why conservatives have both the principles and the public policy tools needed to help kids—and society—break the addiction to tech.For more, read Morell's Compass Point essay on this subject, "America On-the-Line," and check out her newsletter, Preserving our Humanity, and her forthcoming book, The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones.

College has become the dividing line in America, not just economically, but socially, too. Sam Pressler, a practitioner fellow at the University of Virginia and a research affiliate at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program, joins Oren to discuss the crisis this is fueling for young Americans who don't go to college as they navigate the transition to adulthood alone.The two talk through the history of college as a communal exercise and how it's devolved into the "great sorter" of class in America, as well as the resulting "structural forms of loneliness" for young people who don't pursue a four-year degree and the "extracurricular arms race" for kids trying to get in. And they unpack the embryonic remedies various states have rolled out to address the situation.For more, read Pressler's recent essay on The Commons, "From the ‘Great Connector’ to the ‘Great Sorter’," and check out his full policy framework, "Connective Tissue," aimed at helping policymakers regenerate communities.

As the election approaches, both parties are trying to position themselves as the better choice for American families. But what is it that parents—particularly parents who stay home to take care of their children—actually want?Ivana Greco, a former family-law attorney turned homemaker, joins Oren to discuss her recent research on the topic, drawing on interviews with over 1,300 stay-at-home parents about their needs and challenges. She explains what she’s learned from those conversations, as well as how policymakers can support parents regardless of their employment status.For more, read the just-published report, Invisible Labor, Visible Needs: Making Family Policy Work for Stay-At-Home (And All) Parents.

On this episode, Oren is joined by journalist and best-selling author Sarah Smarsh to make sense of the ongoing political realignment in America's Heartland.Smarsh, who hails from rural Kansas, draws from her own upbringing to explain the forces pushing rural working-class voters away from the Democratic Party, often after decades of voting for it. She and Oren also discuss her new book, Bone of the Bone, which focuses on this shift and other aspects of life in rural America, and the two unpack how it all intersects with the rise of former President Donald Trump and changes in the Republican Party.For more, check out Smarsh's latest book, Bone of the Bone: Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class.

This episode is a deep dive into what policymakers should do to overhaul U.S. trade with China to support American workers, industries, and national security. It features policy advisor Mark DiPlacido, lead author of a new report, "Disfavored Nation," that provides a roadmap for rescinding China's Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status.He joins Oren to talk through the history of our trade relations with China, the colossal harm done to American workers and industries by the status quo of "free" trade over the last two decades, and what it would require to disentangle the two largest economies in the world.For more, read the report: "Disfavored Nation."

On this episode, Oren is joined by not one but two leading scholars on U.S. industrial policy, Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher, both of the Coalition for a Prosperous America. The episode opens with a conversation about the pair’s forthcoming book, which Oren describes as “the authoritative tome on industrial policy past, present, and future.”They dig into why the government should be involved in domestic industry in the first place, the innovations—from the internet to commercial air travel—that wouldn’t exist without such involvement, and what the future of American industrial policy should be.For more, check out their forthcoming book, Industrial Policy for the United States: Winning the Competition for Good Jobs and High-Value Industries.

In this episode, Joshua Kleinfeld, professor of law and philosophy at the Scalia School of Law at George Mason University, joins Oren for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of the conservative legal movement. Professor Kleinfeld, a leading legal voice helping drive the conversation at the Federalist Society and beyond, connects the dots about the threat to individual liberty from not just government but private power, and questions whether "the ideals of democracy are recognized in practice" in America today. The two conclude with a fascinating debate about voting, and whether parents should be allowed to vote as proxies for their kids.For more, read Professor Kleinfeld's paper about criminal justice, mentioned in the episode: "By the People: Restoring Democracy in Criminal Justice."

In this episode, Oren Cass is joined by Dr. Matthew Mehan, associate dean of Hillsdale College’s Graduate School of Government, to discuss conservatism in our secular age, based on Oren’s First Things lecture earlier this year.The two go long on conservative morality, from the role of religion in conservatism to the wisdom of the Roman philosopher Cicero and the “most pernicious doctrine” of advancing an immoral argument for its political utility. And they unpack how it all intersects with America’s declining religiosity and modern politics, from economics, to tech, and more.For more, read in First Things, “Constructing Conservatism."

On this episode, Nick Timothy, Conservative member of Parliament, takes a look at conservative populism from a British perspective. Timothy has had a front-row seat to the U.K.’s political realignment, and shares his observations and comparisons to the American experience. He and Oren talk through how he survived a Conservative wipeout in the recent parliamentary general elections, and the challenges and opportunities confronting conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic.For more on that path forward, read Timothy's recent piece in the Telegraph on the subject: "We don’t need to veer Left or Right – we just need to be Conservative."

On this episode, author and American Reformer senior fellow Aaron Renn joins Oren Cass to discuss urbanism and how conservatives should approach cities. In the wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the history of American urban governance, where conservatives should focus their policy efforts, and how urban policy can improve the lives of everyday Americans.For more, read Renn's latest on The Commons, which explores how to implement such an approach, "Conservatives Need a Positive Governing Vision."

On this episode, Oren Cass is joined by Harry Marino, founder and president of Sports Solidarity, who led the successful effort last year to unionize Minor League Baseball. The two discuss how Marino's time in the minors made him realize a union was needed, his successful campaign to win recognition for that union from Major League Baseball, and how the lessons he learned can be applied beyond sports.To learn more about Marino's effort, read this profile of him from the University of Virginia Law School, his alma mater.

On this episode, University of Winchester professor and economist Richard Werner joins Oren Cass for a discussion on monetary policy. The two discuss where money comes from, the ways that government policy can help and hurt markets, and how to differentiate between productive and non-productive finance.For more, read his latest book, Where Does Money Come From? A Guide to the UK Monetary and Banking System.

On this episode, Senator Todd Young (R-IN) joins Oren Cass for a conversation about the CHIPS Act on the two-year anniversary of its passage. They discuss its ongoing implementation, where those efforts have fallen short or been supplanted by unrelated policy objectives, and what policymakers need to do to revitalize American manufacturing more broadly.For more, read our Compass Point essay revisiting the CHIPS Act, by policy director Chris Griswold, "Chipping Away."

On this episode, author and academic Michael Lind joins Oren Cass for a wide-ranging conversation about the U.S. economy. The two discuss the merits of tariffs, the public purpose of markets and market power, and how best to provide social insurance.For more, read Lind's recent Compass Point essay, "So What If Tariffs Are Taxes?," and check out his latest book, Hell to Pay: How the Suppression of Wages is Destroying America.And click here for the "oddly specific Kamala Harris policy generator."

On this episode, author and founder of Breakout Capital Ruchir Sharma joins Oren Cass to discuss the consequences when markets fail. The two walk through the history of government intervention in the market, the problems with over-regulation, and how a more populist economics could provide a corrective.For more, check out Sharma's latest book, What Went Wrong with Capitalism.

On this episode, Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow Henry Olsen joins Oren Cass to discuss the selection of JD Vance as Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate and what the move means for the future of conservatism. Henry and Oren talk through the history of conservative support for government intervention, how Reagan's legacy was co-opted by libertarians, and how Vance can help get American economics back on track.For more, read Batya Ungar-Sargon's response to the Vance pick on The Commons, "J.D. Vance: The Populist Choice."

On this episode, host Oren Cass takes the guest seat to discuss his recent Compass Point essay about electric vehicles, “The Electric Slide.” Cass and managing editor Drew Holden discuss America’s electric vehicle policy and its limitations, the threat of China dominating the global market, and why conservatives—long critical of the technology—should embrace an alternate approach that could help restore American manufacturing, regardless of EV adoption. For more, read Oren’s Compass Point essay,  “The Electric Slide.”

On this episode of the American Compass Podcast, Oren Cass is joined by Dean W. Ball, research fellow at the Mercatus Center's Artificial Intelligence & Progress Project, to discuss the future of American manufacturing. The two evaluate what AI could mean for domestic manufacturing, the prospect of reindustrialization, and how frontier technologies could allow the U.S. to leapfrog China in critical technology.For more, read Ball's recent Compass Point essay, "Move Fast and Make Things," and subscribe to his newsletter, Hyperdimensional.

On this episode of the American Compass Podcast, Newsweek opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon joins Oren Cass for a wide-ranging conversation about the politics of working-class Americans. The two discuss her new book, Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America’s Working Men and Women, and how the political beliefs of working-class Americans have changed in recent years.For more, check out Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America’s Working Men and Women, out now.

On this episode, Wall Street Journal reporter Dana Mattioli joins Oren Cass to discuss her new book about how Amazon has ruthlessly bullied its way to dominating nearly every industry and the implications of its anti-competitive actions on corporate power and regulation, as well as the current Federal Trade Commission case against the company.For more, check out The Everything War, out now.

On a special episode of the American Compass Podcast, progressive Representative Ro Khanna and Republican Chairman of the House Budget Committee Jodey Arrington each join Oren Cass to discuss plausible approaches to the federal deficit and what serious fiscal responsibility would look like given political realities within each of their parties.For more, check out the American Compass Collection on the budget: Return of the Fiscal Conservatives.

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren Cass and Chris Griswold discuss American Compass’s new tax and budget collection, Return of the Fiscal Conservatives. They talk through why fiscal conservatives need to focus on revenue as well as spending, the importance of limited government, and the evolving shift away from the orthodoxy of viewing tax cuts as a cure-all. They also discuss new polling that indicates Americans are more clear-eyed about the deficit than the politicians who represent them.

On this episode, Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, joins Oren Cass to unpack America’s broken immigration system. They walk through the history, the economics, and how public statements and policies from the Biden administration precipitated and fueled the current crisis. Mark helps demystify the confusing labyrinth of rules and regulations tied to immigration and the two discuss ways to address the policy gridlock on the issue on Capitol Hill.For more on how policymakers can benefit American workers by rethinking immigration policy, read our "One Simple Trick for Raising Wages."

On today’s episode, New York Times senior writer David Leonhardt joins Oren Cass for a discussion of “neopopulism,” the realignment of American politics, and a bit of the history that got us here.For more, read David’s recent NYT piece discussing this push for a more responsive politics.And check out his recent book, Ours Was a Shining Future, about the decisions and missteps that created the modern American economy.

On this episode, Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Brody Mullins joins Oren Cass to discuss his new book, coauthored with Politico’s Luke Mullins, about the corrosive influence of corporate power in politics, the evolution of the lobbying industry, and changes that could make Congress more responsive to the will of the voters.For more, check out The Wolves of K Street, out now.

On this episode, Oren is joined by the Marathon Initiative’s Robert Delfeld to discuss how to broaden and strengthen the defense industrial base. They dig into the history and politics of the defense industry, the effects of deindustrialization on the supply chain, and a blueprint for supporting the defense industrial “sub-base.”Read Robert’s new report, Broadening the Base: A Blueprint for Expanding Defense Industrial Capacity.

Ashley Rogers Berner, director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, joins Oren for a discussion of educational pluralism: the key to ensuring choice and standards in K–12 schools. They survey the international landscape, trends in educational philosophies, and what it would look like to fully embrace a pluralistic model in the United States.For more, check out Ashley's new book, Educational Pluralism and Democracy and the following pieces she's written for American Compass:Introducing Pluralism to Public SchoolingA Sustainable Path to School ChoiceMake Good (School) Choices

On this special Earth Day episode of the podcast, Oren is joined by Thomas Hochman, a research associate at the Foundation for American Innovation. They discuss American energy policy, the promise of nuclear, climate change, regulatory hurdles, and much more.For more from Thomas, check out: A Nuclear Renaissance?, The New AtlantisIt’s Not Just NEPA: Reforming Environmental Permitting, American AffairsFoundation for American Innovation

On this episode of the American Compass Podcast, Oren is joined by Michael Pettis, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, for an in-depth discussion of the dollar as the global reserve currency: pros, cons, and what it all means for the American economy.Further ReadingThe High Price of Dollar Dominance (Michael Pettis, Foreign Affairs)Bad Trade (Michael Pettis, American Compass)Talkin’ (Policy) Shop: Balancing U.S. Trade

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris dive into American Compass’s latest survey results on American attitudes toward the role and scope of government. Conventional wisdom says Americans are hopelessly polarized over “big government” vs. “small government,” but our new survey reveals a much more complicated picture.Read the full survey: The American Appetite for Government

On this episode, Oren Cass is joined by Scott Gatzemeier, Corporate Vice President of Front End U.S. Expansion at Micron Technology, to discuss the on-the-ground reality of the CHIPS Act rollout.In this fascinating discussion, Scott shares details on Micron’s plans to build new semiconductor fabs in the U.S., enabled by the CHIPS Act. He and Oren dive into the economics of the site selection process, the expected economic impact and job creation, and what’s needed to sustain momentum in rebuilding this critical industry.Further Reading:A Guide to the Semiconductor IndustryAmerica’s Microchip Slip (National Review)Pass the CHIPS, Please

This month, Oren Cass delivered the 2024 First Things Lecture in Washington, DC, on the topic, "Constructing Conservatism in the Secular Age." What should conservative politics look like at a time when many Americans are no longer religious?

In this episode of the American Compass Podcast, Oren Cass talks with Patrick Ruffini, founding partner of Echelon Insights, about his book "Party of the People," which examines the Republican Party's transformation in recent years.Ruffini argues that the divide between college-educated and non-college voters has become the defining cleavage in American politics. Ruffini and Cass discuss the cultural and economic roots of this realignment, the unique political talents of figures like Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and how both parties are struggling to build broad coalitions.

How can the media better understand the reality of American life outside the Beltway, and what are reporters missing about these shifting economic and political debates?From American Compass's recent symposium on the New Conservative Story, David Leonhardt of the New York Times moderates a discussion with Emily Jashinsky (National Journalism Center and The Federalist) and Idrees Kahloon (The Economist) about the media's narrative and understanding of conservatism and American life outside DC.

What does the right-of-center's economic debate mean for political leaders and how is it being translated into electoral politics in 2024 and beyond?From American Compass's  recent symposium on the New Conservative Story, Jerry Seib of the Wall Street Journal moderates a discussion with Michael Brendan Dougherty (National Review) and Tim Chapman (Advancing American Freedom) about what conservatism's shifting approach to economics means at the ballot box.

How is conservative thinking about economic policy and the role of government changing?From our recent symposium on the New Conservative Story, Rana Foroohar of the Financial Times moderates a discussion with Julius Krein (American Affairs) and Michael Strain (American Enterprise Institute) digging into how the American right-of-center is thinking about economic policies from trade to government spending to organized labor.

On this episode of the American Compass podcast, Oren Cass is joined by John A. Burtka IV, president and CEO of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and author of the new book of old wisdom on governing, Gateway to Statesmanship. They discuss how to cultivate and educate a better elite, what the “mirrors for princes” tradition has to teach today’s leaders, and, of course, aristo-populism.Click here to check out Burtka's book, out today!

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris weigh in on the ongoing fight over the Child Tax Credit in Congress and discuss more broadly the question of how conservatives should think about supporting families—without getting mired in 30-year-old fights about welfare.Further Reading:Our new survey: The Family Policy Renaissance, ExplainedIssues 2024: FamilyPutting the Money Where the Working Families Are (Oren Cass)Among US Conservatives, the Dial Is Shifting on Welfare (Oren Cass, Financial Times)Conservatives Should Embrace Child Tax Credit Expansion (Duncan Braid, Newsweek)

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris discuss globalization—how we got here, the problems it has created, and what policymakers should do now. Drawing on our new survey (out today!), they dig into what voters think and how and why economists and policymakers are so disconnected from average Americans on this issue.Specifically, we find that:47% of Americans say that the nation has "suffered" from its embrace of globalization. Only 33% believe the nation has benefited.70% of Americans believe policymakers should focus on "trying to help struggling areas recover." Only 30% believe the focus should be on "trying to help people move to more prosperous areas."Read the full issue brief here: Issues 2024: Globalization, and read the full survey here: The American Rejection of Globalization

Oren Cass and the Heritage Foundation’s Steve Moore debate immigration and wages at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute’s American Economic Forum. The debate offers a stark illustration of the shift underway from a paradigm that celebrates cheap and plentiful labor to one that recognizes scarce labor and rising wages as drivers of productivity and prosperity has enormous implications for every facet of economic policy.Click here to watch the debate on YouTube.

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris head to Wall Street to discuss our fourth Issues 2024 brief, exploring why 57% of GOP voters say that "Wall Street investors are getting rich doing things that weaken our economy"—and what policymakers can do to get things back on track.Financial markets have ceased to play their vital role channeling capital to productive uses. Instead, they more often take capital back out of businesses. While nearly all public companies used to be “sustainers” that both invested in their future and returned capital to shareholders, now nearly half are “eroders,” disgorging so much cash that they fail to maintain their own capital base.Some potential solutions: 1. Ban stock buybacks; 2. Impose a financial transaction tax; 3. Reform the bankruptcy process; and 4. Hold pension investors accountable.Read the full issue brief here: Issues 2024: Wall Street

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, we’re diving into all things industrial policy. Oren and Chris discuss our third Issues 2024 brief and the importance of a strong industrial base.In short: Making things matters. Domestic industry is vital to workers and their communities, technological and economic progress, and national security. Thanks to rapid offshoring in recent decades, America is now seeing both manufacturing output and productivity decline. Public policy that supports domestic investment is the only way to restore American industrial leadership.Read the full issue brief here: Issues 2024: Industrial Policy

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris discuss the second brief in our Issues 2024 series. This one goes deep on worker power: why it matters for our economy, what voters think about it, and why conservative political leaders should make it a priority. Read the full issue brief here: Issues 2024: Worker Power

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris discuss the first Issues 2024 brief on declining middle-class security in America. They cover what’s gone wrong in the American economy over the past generation, the financial pressure families are under, and what a compelling agenda on this issue would look like. Read the full issue brief here: Issues 2024: Middle-Class Security.

This special episode of the American Compass podcast features a wide-ranging conversation between Oren Cass and Glenn Hubbard on the future of capitalism that took place recently at Columbia Business School. They cover the waterfront: everything from labor and productivity to private equity and investment, from technology and automation to China and globalization. Plus, Oren discusses what he calls the "secret sauce of capitalism."

We’re back! Welcome to season two of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop. This season, Oren and Chris will be discussing Issues 2024, our new series of policy briefs covering the issues that are (or should be) driving the primary campaign.On the first episode of this season, we’re digging into the results of our new poll of GOP primary voters, which finds a substantial preference for the New Right’s worker-first framing of key economic challenges to the Old Right’s business-friendly approach.Read the full poll: The New Conservative Voter

On this episode of Critics Corner, Tax Foundation senior economist Erica York joins Oren Cass for a conversation about tariffs: who bears the cost, who benefits, and much more.Further Reading:Trump’s $300 Billion Tax Hike Would Threaten U.S. Businesses and Consumers (Erica York, Tax Foundation)Tariffs on Chinese Imports Have Only Marginally Contributed to US Inflation (Peterson Institute)Tariff Pass-Through at the Border and at the Store: Evidence from US Trade Policy (American Economic Review)

On this episode of Critics Corner, Oren Cass is joined by FREOPP president Avik Roy, who convened the recent Freedom Conservatism Statement of Principles. They discuss the current state of the conservative movement, the purpose of the statement, and how the “old right” and the “new right” differ on issues like trade, taxes, education, and more.Further Reading:Freedom Conservatism: A Statement of PrinciplesOren Cass, Financial Times: Freedom Conservatism Is Much Ado About NothingAvik Roy: Why I Signed the Freedom Conservatism Statement of Principles

At our Rebuilding American Capitalism forum, Senator J.D. Vance joined Oren Cass for a conversation about what has gone wrong with investment in the American economy, as well as how conservatives should think about labor unions and labor's place in the future of a conservative political coalition. Read more in Rebuilding American Capitalism and watch the full video from the forum.

At our Rebuilding American Capitalism forum, Senator Marco Rubio joined Oren Cass for a conversation about globalization, what has gone wrong in the American economy, the policies we’ll need to recover, and his new book, Decades of Decadence. Read more in Rebuilding American Capitalism and watch the full video from the forum.

At our Rebuilding American Capitalism forum, Senator Todd Young joined Oren Cass for a conversation about how conservatives should think about industrial policy, how public policy can support R&D and critical industries like semiconductors, and his push for prohibitions on noncompete agreements. Read more in Rebuilding American Capitalism and watch the full video from the forum.

At our Rebuilding American Capitalism forum, Senator Tom Cotton joined Oren Cass for a conversation about the future of conservative economics, and specifically education and workforce development. Read more in Rebuilding American Capitalism and watch the full video from the forum.

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris are joined by American Compass policy advisor Gabriela Rodriguez to discuss how financialization has disconnected economic activity from productive activity in the real economy. To further amplify shareholder returns, firms are leveraging their balance sheets with tax-advantaged debt that discourages investment, reduces resilience, and shifts risk on to workers.One solution: Ban stock buybacks and repeal business interest deductibility.Further Reading:American Compass policy brief: Back to Basics for Corporate FinanceConfronting Coin-Flip Capitalism (Oren Cass, American Compass)The Rise of Wall Street and the Fall of American Investment (Oren Cass, American Compass)The Corporate Erosion of Capitalism (Oren Cass, American Compass)Profits Without Prosperity (William Lazonick, Harvard Business Review)

On this episode of Critics Corner, Oren Cass is joined by Phil Bell, director of external relations at FreedomWorks and veteran of the railroad industry, for a wide-ranging discussion of all things trains—and more specifically, the Railway Safety Act of 2023.Further ReadingRailway Safety Act of 2023Railway Safety Act Presents GOP Choice: Tired Dogma or the Common Good? (Chris Griswold, Newsweek)FreedomWorks Sends Letter to Members of Congress Urging Them To Oppose The Railway Safety Act

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris discuss China’s “permanent normal trade relations” (PNTR) status and the case for revoking it.Granting PNTR to China as part of its ascension to the WTO was supposed to grant American firms and workers comparable benefits in the Chinese market. But the experts were wrong. The “China Shock” cost millions of American jobs, reduced domestic investment and innovative capacity, strained many communities’ social fabric, and contributed to a surge in “deaths of despair” concentrated among middle-aged Americans without college degrees.Further ReadingAmerican Compass policy brief: End “Permanent Normal Trade Relations” with ChinaSearching for Capitalism in the Wreckage of Globalization (Oren Cass, American Compass)“Where’s the Growth?” (American Compass)“The Balancing Act” (American Compass)“China Trade Relations Act of 2023," Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Budd (R-NC), and J.D. Vance (R-OH)“Ending Normal Trade Relations with China Act,” Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)

On this episode of Critics Corner, Oren Cass is joined by Angela Rachidi, senior fellow and Rowe scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss family affordability. Is there a cost of living crisis? How can we measure the economic pressures on American families? And how should public policy respond?Further Reading: The 2023 Cost-of-Thriving Index by Oren CassThe Evidence on Family Affordability by Angela RachidiAmerican Compass Family Affordability Survey

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris discuss how to protect kids online. Children who use social media are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and self-harm, are more vulnerable to exploitation, and are more at risk of exposure to dangerous or illicit material. Parents, meanwhile, are unable to adequately protect their children from these harms. That’s where policymakers can step in to protect children online the same way we do in the real world.Further Reading:American Compass policy brief: Making Social Media Safe for KidsProtecting Children from Social Media (Chris Griswold, National Affairs)Governing After a Revolution (Oren Cass, American Compass)The Dangerous Experiment on Teen Girls (Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic)How Changing One Law Could Protect Kids from Social Media (Yuval Levin, The New York Times) An Online Age-Verification System (American Compass policy brief)Kids Online Safety Act (Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal)Protecting Kids on Social Media Act (Senators Tom Cotton, Brian Schatz, Chris Murphy, and Katie Britt)

On this special episode of the American Compass podcast, Senator Marco Rubio joins Oren Cass for a wide-ranging discussion of conservative economics and the common good. They cover the importance of domestic industrial capacity, seeing markets as a tool, dignified work as a key national interest, and, of course, TikTok.

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris are joined by Willy Shih, a professor at Harvard Business School, to discuss pre-competitive R&D consortia. At a time when America has lost its innovative edge, these consortia give government an opportunity to support industry while letting market forces work.Pre-competitive R&D consortia allow firms that are normally competitors in the market to work together on a common technology platform, sharing the resulting IP from which they can develop products to compete against each other. The collaboration pools resources and expertise, and provides a site at which public policy can constructively subsidize investment without “picking winners and losers.” Further ReadingAmerican Compass policy brief: Pre-Competitive R&D ConsortiaOn Research and Development (Willy Shih, American Compass)Pass the Chips, Please (Oren Cass, American Compass)A Guide to the Semiconductor Industry (American Compass)

On this episode of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop, Oren and Chris discuss the issue of worker voice: how many American workers have less influence in their workplaces than they would like, and how we can reform labor law to create new avenues for their input from the shop floor to the boardroom.Further ReadingAmerican Compass policy briefs: Collaborative Labor-Management Committees & Workers in the BoardroomA Better Bargain: Worker Voice and Representation (Chris Griswold, American Compass)Not What They Bargained For: A Survey of American Workers (American Compass)Workers of the World (Wells King, American Compass)Teamwork for Employees and Managers (TEAM) Act of 2022 (Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN))

Policy in Brief is now Talkin’ (Policy) Shop! On this episode, Oren and Chris discuss the problems that arise when chronic pension underfunding pushes public pension managers to seek unrealistic returns, pushing them toward risky, opaque, and illiquid alternative investments like private equity and hedge funds. These investments charge enormous fees while avoiding disclosures that would allow the public to evaluate their performance. When these gambles go bad, taxpayers are on the hook.Capital imbued with public purpose, like state and local pension funds, should be invested transparently. Congress should pass legislation requiring reasonable public reporting standards for private funds that invest and collect fees on public-purpose capital.Further ReadingAmerican Compass policy brief: Public Pension AccountabilityConfronting Coin-Flip Capitalism (Oren Cass, American Compass) A Guide to Private Equity (American Compass)‘Warning signs’: PE could impact public pension plans’ funding status this year. (Jessica Hamlin, PitchBook)Investing Novices Are Calling the Shots for $4 Trillion at US Pensions.” (Neil Weinberg, Bloomberg)

On this episode of Critics Corner, Oren Cass is joined by University of Chicago Booth School of Business professor and private equity expert Steven Kaplan. They discuss the pros and cons of private equity, the risk of bankruptcy during leveraged buyouts, and the effects—both good and bad—on both workers and investors.Further Reading:American Compass’s work on financializationConfronting Coin-Flip Capitalism by Oren CassA Guide to Private Equity by American CompassPopulists Don’t Know Much About Private Equity by Steven Kaplan and Todd Henderson (Wall Street Journal)Debate: Does the Private Equity Industry Create Substantial Social Value? by Oren Cass and Todd Henderson (Newsweek)

On this episode of Policy in Brief, Oren Cass and Chris Griswold discuss how to spur private investment, innovation, and competition by guaranteeing demand for domestic production. In recent years, industrial production has been increasingly offshored, leaving supply chains more fragile and entrenched abroad. America’s domestic industry has declined as a result, degrading our long-term ability to innovate and leaving the U.S. dependent on other nations for critical goods. A local content requirement (LCR) for goods that are critical for national security or the industrial base would go a long way to reshoring American industry and rebuilding the U.S. manufacturing base.Further Reading:American Compass policy brief: Local Content RequirementsOn Domestic Sourcing (Michael Lind, American Compass)The Balancing Act. (American Compass)The Import Quota That Remade the Auto Industry (Wells King & Dan Vaughn, Jr., American Compass)“Make It in America to Sell It in America Act (Senator Josh Hawley and Representative Claudia Tenney)

On this episode of Policy in Brief, Oren Cass and Chris Griswold are joined by special guest Jonathan Berry, partner at Boyden Gray & Associates and former Department of Labor assistant secretary. They discuss the “bachelor’s fad”—our over reliance in the labor market on bachelor’s degrees—and how public policy should respond. And listen to the end for some of our best bill title ideas yet.Further Reading:American Compass policy brief: Banning Bachelor’s Degree RequirementsEscaping the Bachelor’s Fad (Chris Griswold, American Compass)The False Promise of Good Jobs (Oren Cass & Richard Oyeniran, American Compass)Hidden Workers: Untapped Talent (Joseph B. Fuller, Manjari Raman, Eva Sage-Gavin, & Kristen Hines; Harvard Business School)The Emerging Degree Reset (The Burning Glass Institute)

On this episode of Policy in Brief, Oren Cass and Chris Griswold take a look at the damage done to workers and local communities when businesses go bankrupt. Jobs are destroyed, wages are reduced, and local tax bases are devastated. When financial markets push firms to assume excessive risk in pursuit of higher rewards, workers and communities are left holding the bag.Oren and Chris propose a series of reforms  to the bankruptcy code that would prioritize workers and small businesses in the event of a corporate collapse. The goal: better align risk and reward by increasing the potential costs of bankruptcy and risky financial strategies, promoting more responsible investor behavior.Further Reading: American Compass policy brief: Pro-Worker Bankruptcy ReformEmployee Costs of Corporate Bankruptcy (John Graham, Hyunseob Kim, Si Li, & Jiaping Qiu; Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago)Confronting Coin-Flip Capitalism (Oren Cass, American Compass)A Guide to Private Equity (American Compass)Foreign Investors Have Been Big U.S. Stock Buyers (Deborah D’Souza, Investopedia)Private Equity: Overvalued and Overrated? (Daniel Rasmussen, American Affairs)

In the spirit of the holidays, this episode of Policy in Brief focuses on the family and what public policy can do to support this vital institution. American Compass executive director Oren Cass and policy director Chris Griswold are joined by special guest and research director Wells King for this discussion of a monthly family benefit, as conceived in our Family Income Supplemental Credit (Fisc) proposal.Further Reading:American Compass policy brief: A Monthly Family BenefitThe Family Income Supplemental Credit (Oren Cass & Wells King, American Compass)Americans Support a Generous Child Benefit Tied to Work (American Compass)The Family Security Act 2.0 (Sen. Mitt Romney, Sen. Richard Burr, & Sen. Steve Daines)Romney Revamps His Family Security Act (Patrick T. Brown, Ethics & Public Policy Center)

On this episode of Policy in Brief, Oren Cass and Chris Griswold discuss how we should finance higher education in the U.S. Instead of simply offering blanket student debt forgiveness, they explore how to rethink financing from the ground up. Their proposals include treating student debt like all other debt so it can be discharged in bankruptcy, and putting colleges and universities directly on the hook for their graduates' future success.Further Reading:American Compass policy briefs: Student Debt Relief the Old-Fashioned Way and Self-Financing by CollegesThe Banality of Student Loans (Oren Cass, American Compass)A Guide to College-for-All (American Compass)The False Promise of Good Jobs (Oren Cass & Richard Oyeniran, American Compass)Colleges Should Only Succeed When Students Do (Mike Reeser, Texas State Technical College)

On this episode of Policy in Brief, Oren Cass is joined as always by American Compass policy director Chris Griswold to discuss a proposal to allow workers to administer their own employee benefits through organizations they control. This would be an American version of the Ghent system, a successful European model that improves benefit provision because it's more accountable than either government or employers.Further Reading:American Compass policy brief: Worker-Run BenefitsA Better Bargain: Worker Solidarity and Mutual Support (Wells King, American Compass)Not What They Bargained For: A Survey of American Workers (American Compass)

On this episode of Policy in Brief, Oren Cass is joined by American Compass policy director Chris Griswold to discuss how U.S. trade fell so far out of balance—and some ideas for how to rebalance it. They explore three key ideas: the global tariff, the import certificate, and the market access charge. All three use market forces to bring trade into balance and help fix the decades-long erosion of American industry and innovation.Further Reading:American Compass policy briefs: The Global Tariff, The Import Certificate, and The Market Access ChargeRegaining Our Balance (American Compass)Searching for Capitalism in the Wreckage of Globalization (Oren Cass, American Compass)Where's the Growth? (American Compass)Here’s How I Would Solve the Trade Problem (Warren Buffett, Fortune)Robert Lighthizer on the need for tariffs to reduce America’s trade deficit (The Economist)Why the Market Access Charge is Necessary to Fix Trade Imbalances (John R. Hansen, Coalition for a Prosperous America)

On this episode of Policy in Brief, Oren Cass is joined by American Compass policy director Chris Griswold to discuss a proposal to create an online age-verification system to keep kids safe online. They discuss how the current system leaves children unprotected, potential privacy concerns, and why the public sector needs to step in to help parents protect their kids online.Further reading:Lost in the Super Market (American Compass)Protecting Children from Social Media (Chris Griswold, National Affairs)How Changing One Law Could Protect Kids From Social Media (Yuval Levin, The New York Times)The Dangerous Experiment on Teen Girls (Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic)Kids Online Safety Act

On the inaugural episode of Policy in Brief, American Compass executive director Oren Cass is joined by policy director Chris Griswold to discuss the Workforce Training Grant, a proposal to create a meaningful alternative pathway to college for the majority of young Americans who are being left behind by the current "college-for-all" model. They discuss the failings of our current system, how a program connecting trainees with employers would work, and the bill recently introduced by Senator Cotton that was modeled off of this proposal.Further reading:The Workforce Training Grant Policy Brief (American Compass)The full Workforce Training Grant white paper (American Compass)Rebuilding from the College Catastrophe Starts Here (Oren Cass, American Compass)American Workforce Act (Sen. Tom Cotton)What Republicans Should Do if They Win Big This Fall (Oren Cass and Chris Griswold, New York Times)After Student-Debt Relief, America Must Move Beyond 'College for All' (Wells King, Newsweek)

In this episode, Michael Strain joins Oren in the Critics Corner to discuss what he calls "grievance-onomics," the reasons we should or should not have confidence in corporations pursuing their own profits will act in ways that benefit the American people, and policy implications on issues ranging from trade and investment to education and immigration. Michael is the director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

In this episode, Vinnie Vernuccio joins Oren in the Critics Corner to discuss issues with labor policy today, debating whether American workers would benefit more from collective action or individual flexibility. Vinnie is the president of the Institute for the American Worker and a senior fellow at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

On this episode of Critics Corner, Oren is joined by Jon Hartley, a visiting fellow at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity and a former senior policy advisor to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. They discuss the purpose of finance, the value it creates, the places it can go wrong, as well as the pros and cons of various policy responses—including some they actually agree on.

On this episode of Critics Corner, Oren is joined by Grover Norquist, founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform. They discuss the nature of the right-of-center political coalition, whether the average GOP voter simply wishes to be “left alone,” the state of the American economy, and how public policy can help the average household and worker. Spoiler: Oren is not convinced to sign the tax pledge.

On this episode of Critics Corner, Oren is joined by one of our most active critics and open-letter writers, Donald Boudreaux of George Mason University. They discuss a wide swath of disagreements, including public choice and the knowledge problem, whether the SEC or public schools should exist, and what role industrial policy played in the development of Japan and China. Plus, Professor Boudreaux gives some insight into his personal investment strategies.

What happens to personal data as the digital age deepens their quality, widens their availability, and creates new uses for them? Alec Stapp (Progressive Policy Institute) and Wells King (American Compass) exchange over the implications of “All-Knowing Algorithms” with Oren Cass.

What happens to media as the digital age enhances their ability to engage consumers? As a part of our "Lost in the Super Market: Navigating the Digital Age" collection, American Compass convened contributing writers Matthew Crawford (UVA’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture) and Peter Suderman (Reason) to discuss the ramifications of the "Attention Economy" with Wells King (American Compass).

What happens to markets as the digital age improves their efficiency and introduces them to new domains? As a part of our "Lost in the Super Market: Navigating the Digital Age" collection, American Compass convened contributing writers Wingham Rowan (Modern Markets for All) and Neil Chilson (Charles Koch Institute) to discuss the advent of frictionless exchanges with Wells King (American Compass).

Leader McCarthy joins American Compass to discuss his efforts to reach out and grow the Republican coalition, what it takes to build a GOP that is better attuned to the concerns of working class Americans, and where he sees the party going in the coming years.

Fulfillment author Alec MacGillis joins American Compass research director Wells King for a conversation exploring what the growth of Amazon means for the future of inequality in the U.S., the pros and cons of “one-click America,” and how policymakers and consumers should respond.

On the first episode of Critics Corner, Oren is joined by Stephanie Slade, managing editor of Reason magazine. They discuss the importance of liberty to the common good, whether government should fund research or infrastructure, the meaning of free trade in the context of China, and quite a bit more.

Senator Mitt Romney joins us for a conversation about what draws him to family benefits, why he thinks conservatives should embrace the Family Security Act’s approach, how he sees this debate fitting into the broader one about the right-of-center’s future.

Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer joins American Compass executive director Oren Cass for a conversation about his work as the U.S. Trade Representative, the overhaul of America's economic relationship with China, successes achieved and lessons learned, and key challenges facing the Biden administration.

Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Anthony Gonzalez join American Compass executive director Oren Cass for a conversation about how to build a conservative agenda that appeals to a multi-ethnic, working-class base.

In a new collection, What Happened: The Trump Presidency in Review, American Compass and The American Conservative convened leading conservative analysts to dissect the successes and failures of the Trump administration and consider what the conservative movement can learn from it going forward.  Ross Douthat of the New York Times, Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute, and Oren Cass of American Compass speak with Arthur Bloom of The American Conservative about what they see as the key lessons of the past four years.

American Compass's Oren Cass interviews the authors of Dignity (Chris Arnade) and Hillbilly Elegy (J.D. Vance), discussing Ruy Teixeira and Henry Olsen's essays in our October collection, PARTY FOUL: How the Left and Right Fail American Voters. Our guests describe the dynamics that lead to a politics disconnected from the economic and cultural mainstream and identify possible glimmers of hope.

In this episode, Washington Free Beacon editor Aaron Sibarium and small business investor Sam Long discuss the financialization of American business culture and its impacts on our economy and society.

Senator Josh Hawley talks with American Compass executive director Oren Cass about the empty platitudes and hypocrisy of “woke capital” and why conservatives must work to prioritize the needs of workers and families in their economic policy agenda.