The American Compass Podcast

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