The American Compass Podcast

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

In the 1990s, Silicon Valley thought access to China would help open their markets and liberalize the nation. Instead, their engagement ended up empowering the CCP and helped build the Chinese surveillance state.Geoffrey Cain, an investigative journalist and author, joins Oren to explain how some Big Tech firms were captured by China, risking U.S. supply chains by making them vulnerable to Chinese coercion and theft. They focus on how Nvidia’s recent push to sell advanced AI chips to Beijing will empower Chinese ambitions and undermine American security. Finally, they discuss the only workable solution to the threat of China: a hard break.

America once relied on oceans, industrial might, and large stockpiles to give her strategic depth—the ability to maneuver economically, militarily, and technologically during conflict. But those buffers have eroded in the age of drones, cyberattacks, and supply chains controlled by China.Nadia Schadlow, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and Deputy National Security Advisor during the first Trump administration, joins Oren to discuss how to rebuild strategic depth in an age of globalization and massive technological change. They explore how modern conflicts demand scalable production over bespoke systems, America's bureaucratic roadblocks slowing progress, and the necessity of allies and commercial industry in restoring deterrence. Finally, Schadlow outlines concrete steps the Trump administration could take to close America’s most dangerous shortcomings.Further reading:“New Dimensions of Strategic Depth” by Nadia Schadlow

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.