The American Compass Podcast

Economists and politicians told us that President Trump’s tariffs would spark foreign retaliation and drive up domestic prices. But current economic data are beginning to tell a different story. Anna Wong, chief U.S. economist at Bloomberg Economics, joins Oren to discuss what the post-Liberation Day data are telling us. As tariff rates begin to stabilize due to trade deals, Wong breaks down how tariffs are reshaping firm behavior, potentially driving a wave of future domestic investment by realigning incentivizes. Additionally, Anna and Oren explain why the punditry class’s fixation on near-term CPI levels is missing the bigger story.

From working as a welder to taking on BlackRock as West Virginia’s first Republican-elected state treasurer in decades, Riley Moore’s trajectory has been anything but conventional. Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) joins Oren to discuss what a conservatism rooted in the dignity of work, the importance of family, and responsive to the needs of working people looks like. Plus, he and Oren unpack the importance of Republican leaders realizing that being pro-life, pro-family, and pro-worker must mean more than just writing it on a bumper sticker.

As the Trump administration reshapes how federal dollars flow to universities, reform-minded academics are rethinking how to fix the systemic problems on campus without jeopardizing important research.Simon Johnson, professor of entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management and Nobel Laureate in Economics, joins Oren to unpack why our nation’s bloated and bureaucratic universities need reform and how smarter use of federal funding can incentivize it. Plus, the two make sense of how to create new innovation clusters at universities nationwide rather than just at elite coastal institutions.

Even as the U.S. begins decoupling from our Asian rival, the threat of a second “China shock”—one where the country’s economy dominates key resources and minerals—is rapidly emerging.Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins Oren to dig into how China’s new wave of industrial overcapacity, currency manipulation, and continued cheap exports could ravage America’s economy a second time. They explore how this will impact the global economy, and how the Trump administration could respond with smart industrial policy.Further reading:“The Case that China is Now Actively Resisting Pressure on the Yuan to Appreciate” by Brad Setser"We Warned About the First China Shock. The Next One Will Be Worse" by David Autor and Gordon Hanson

Are we all post-liberals now? The leading voice in the debate about what comes after liberalism, Notre Dame professor Patrick Deneen, joins the podcast to discuss where American politics is headed now that the push for a globalized society has failed to survive contact with geopolitical reality.He and Oren unpack the failures of the liberal age, from free trade and open borders to foreign wars of adventure, and how a new conservatism helped deliver its demise. Finally, they make sense of where the waning liberalism of today leaves conservatives, and why young people are at the heart of this shift to something better.Further reading:"We Are All Postliberals Now," by Patrick Deneen

The United States remains wholly dependent upon China for 95% of rare earth elements, 100% reliant on imports for 15 critical minerals, and over 80% reliant for eleven more. These minerals enable everything from batteries to semiconductors—and without domestic access, America’s technological dominance is at risk.Robert Bryce, a leading energy policy scholar, joins Oren to explore how decades of shortsighted policy let China dominate critical supply chains, what it would take to rebuild them, and whether the West can shake off its complacent belief that “the market will fix it” before it’s too late. Finally, they close with a discussion on the promising future of domestic nuclear power.Further reading:“Restoring Leadership in Critical Minerals” by Dean BallRead Robert Bryce’s Substack

Over the last two weeks, an online battle has broken out among the New Right over the Israel-Iran conflict and the Trump administration's bombing of an Iranian nuclear facility. Regardless of whether the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel holds, the events so far have drawn clear dividing lines within the coalition. What does "America First" mean for Middle Eastern policy?Josh Hammer, author of Israel and Civilization, and Sohrab Ahmari, U.S. editor of UnHerd, join Oren to debate the wisdom of Trump's attack, the limits of Jacksonian restrictionist foreign policy, and how to think about the U.S. relationship with Israel. The group unpacks the intricacies of what a post-hegemonic world order actually looks like in the Middle East, and how best to respond to what could come next.Further reading:“Is Israel the Ideal 'America First' Ally?” by Oren Cass

Philip Pilkington, author of The Collapse of Global Liberalism, challenges conventional economic wisdom by investigating why many Americans feel poorer despite rising consumption. He critiques GDP as a misleading measure of prosperity, emphasizing the need for metrics that reflect human flourishing. The discussion touches on the ethical implications of profit-driven motives in essential services and critiques the rise of private equity. Pilkington also explores the decline of global liberalism and the potential return to traditional values in society.

When news broke that the local paper mill in Chillicothe, OH, was closing its doors and laying off 780 employees, one Ohio senator made it his mission to fight for those workers.Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) joins Oren to talk about his efforts to put American workers and their families first. The freshman senator explains how his background led him to Congress and breaks down the forces driving the political realignment he’s helping lead. The two discuss how the Republican Party can better serve its voters on labor, trade, and beyond, as well as the need to fight against private equity firms and other forces seeking to outsource American jobs.

Today’s Republican Party has come a long way from the days of William F. Buckley, Jr., but his legacy continues to be felt across the conservative movement.Sam Tanenhaus, former editor of the New York Times Book Review and author of the newly released Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America, joins Oren to discuss the conservative statesman’s life and work. The two discuss how Buckley viewed himself as a reactionary bent on overthrowing the liberal orthodoxy of his day, his work to realign the party, and what those who aim to do likewise today can learn from his legacy.Further reading:“William F. Buckley, Jr. and the Politics of Reality" by Michael Lind