The American Compass Podcast

Artificial intelligence has leapt from speculative theory to everyday tool with astonishing speed, promising breakthroughs in science, medicine, and the ways we learn, live, and work. But to some of its earliest researchers, the race toward superintelligence represents not progress but an existential threat, one that could end humanity as we know it.Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, authors of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, join Oren to debate their claim that pursuing AI will end in human extinction. During the conversation, a skeptical Oren pushes them on whether meaningful safeguards are possible, what a realistic boundary between risk and progress might look like, and how society should judge the costs of stopping against the consequences of carrying on.

Western politics has increasingly been shaped by a widening divide between the “Somewheres” and the “Anywheres”—those rooted in place and community versus those defined by education, mobility, and openness to change. This clash has fueled populist revolts, strained national solidarity, and reshaped debates over immigration, work, and identity.David Goodhart, author of The Road to Somewhere and The Care Dilemma, joins Oren Cass to discuss how this cultural split took hold and how to restore balance between these two groups. They also explore how this divide has shaped the rise of populism, the undervaluing of care and family life, and how re-centering dignity, community, and shared purpose could renew modern societies.

America’s labor laws promise fairness for workers and a level playing field for businesses, but promises mean little without enforcement. Underfunded agencies and administrative failures have allowed bad corporate actors to exploit employees unable to defend themselves.Seema Nanda, the Solicitor of Labor for the Biden administration, joins Oren to discuss why labor enforcement has fallen into crisis and how immigration policy further complicates the landscape. They explore what it takes to hold employers accountable, why strong enforcement is essential for the economy, and how to credibly rebuild America’s protections for workers.

A favorite libertarian parable, I, Pencil, portrays the market as a mystical force beyond human control, an “invisible hand” that government must never try to steer. This conversation tells a different story: how Sharpie manufacturing returned from China to America, and what we can learn about how policy can shape markets in the national interest.Chris Griswold, policy director at American Compass, joins Oren to discuss his Commonplace essay, I, Sharpie, and what the marker’s story reveals about reindustrialization, automation, and worker power. They trace how tariffs and long-term investment helped bring Sharpie production back to Tennessee, explore why automation need not threaten good jobs, and explain how technology and labor can advance together in a high-wage, high-innovation economy.Further Reading:“I, Sharpie,” by Chris Griswold

While the nation’s cultural curators cluster in a few wealthy zip codes, the voters who decide its elections remain rooted in towns where family, church, and work still bind community together. The result is a political and media class increasingly alien to the country it claims to represent, a dynamic cast in stark relief by the recent memorial for Charlie Kirk.Salena Zito, author of Butler and political reporter for the Washington Examiner, joins Drew to explain how rootedness, not ideology, drives much of American politics. They discuss the divide between “placed” and “placeless” citizens and why that distinction is fundamental to understanding the rise of President Trump, before focusing on how increasing energy demands from AI data centers could revitalize jobs for “placed” Americans.Further Reading:Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland, by Salena Zito“Down In a Pennsylvania Mine, I Saw Coal’s Future,” by Salena Zito, Washington Post“New Survey Upends Conventional Wisdom About the American Dream,” American Compass

President Trump's second term has brought with it a more combative approach to the American press. Supporters have cheered it as overdue payback for the media's bias, but have the president's recent actions—from threatening broadcast licenses to million-dollar lawsuits against outlets—crossed a line?Emily Jashinsky, DC correspondent for UnHerd and host of the Afterparty podcast, and Haisten Willis, editor of Commonplace, debate whether Trump's recent actions are what a uniquely hostile legacy media deserves, or worrying developments in press freedom. They dive into the history of how the press and the president have historically done business, share stories from their own time spent in the White House press pool, and end on the positive impact of new and alternative outlets for an industry where public trust is in free fall.Further reading:"How Far Is Too Far on Trump's Media Pushback?" by Haisten Willis

Efforts to modernize labor law have stalled in Washington for decades, leaving workers vulnerable to delayed contracts, retaliation, and corporate maneuvers. Meanwhile, a new challenge looms for workers: rapid advances in automation and artificial intelligence, which could threaten not only blue-collar jobs but also white-collar professions once thought untouchable.Sean M. O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, joins Oren to discuss labor’s realignment in the Trump era and amid technological change. They discuss the Faster Labor Contracts Act, a new bipartisan proposal to guarantee workers a faster first contract. Additionally, they explore the pitfalls of all-or-nothing union strategies, what it takes to build coalitions across party lines, and how organized labor can and should respond to the coming wave of technological innovation.Further Reading:“Unlock American Prosperity by Passing the Faster Labor Contracts Act,” by Sean M. O’Brien

Matt Yglesias, editor of Slow Boring and savvy commentator on public policy, dives into a fiery debate on the abundance agenda. He argues that it represents a renaissance of small-l liberalism focused on crucial areas like housing and energy. Opponent Oren Cass raises provocative questions about whether this abundance approach is just a repackaging of neoliberalism and consumerism. The discussion probes the political implications of prioritizing state capacity versus material concerns, challenging listeners to rethink what abundance really means.

Chad Squitieri, a law professor at the Catholic University of America, discusses whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) grants the president authority to impose tariffs. In contrast, Peter Harrell, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues this interpretation gives Congress a blank check it never intended. The conversation dives into the balance of power between Congress and the presidency, the constitutional implications of tariff authority, and the historical distinction between tariffs and embargoes.

America’s political elite assumed Wall Street would finance its future. Instead, private capital chased software and speculation, leaving the nation dependent on foreign supply chains for most manufactured goods. The result is a hollowed-out industrial base that no tax credit alone can fix.Julius Krein, editor of American Affairs and president of the New American Industrial Alliance, joins Oren to lay out the case for a distinctly American sovereign wealth fund, investing in strategic sectors that the market neglects. They discuss where the CHIPS Act falls short, why Intel is exactly the type of firm a potential fund should support, and what the fund’s governance should look like.Further reading:“How a Sovereign Wealth Fund Could Reindustrialize America” by Julius Krein“Financing for Critical Industries” by Julius Krein