The American Compass Podcast

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.