The American Compass Podcast

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.

On this episode, Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Brody Mullins joins Oren Cass to discuss his new book, coauthored with Politico’s Luke Mullins, about the corrosive influence of corporate power in politics, the evolution of the lobbying industry, and changes that could make Congress more responsive to the will of the voters.For more, check out The Wolves of K Street, out now.

On this episode, Oren is joined by the Marathon Initiative’s Robert Delfeld to discuss how to broaden and strengthen the defense industrial base. They dig into the history and politics of the defense industry, the effects of deindustrialization on the supply chain, and a blueprint for supporting the defense industrial “sub-base.”Read Robert’s new report, Broadening the Base: A Blueprint for Expanding Defense Industrial Capacity.

Ashley Rogers Berner, director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy, joins Oren for a discussion of educational pluralism: the key to ensuring choice and standards in K–12 schools. They survey the international landscape, trends in educational philosophies, and what it would look like to fully embrace a pluralistic model in the United States.For more, check out Ashley's new book, Educational Pluralism and Democracy and the following pieces she's written for American Compass:Introducing Pluralism to Public SchoolingA Sustainable Path to School ChoiceMake Good (School) Choices

On this special Earth Day episode of the podcast, Oren is joined by Thomas Hochman, a research associate at the Foundation for American Innovation. They discuss American energy policy, the promise of nuclear, climate change, regulatory hurdles, and much more.For more from Thomas, check out: A Nuclear Renaissance?, The New AtlantisIt’s Not Just NEPA: Reforming Environmental Permitting, American AffairsFoundation for American Innovation