The American Compass Podcast

President-elect Trump campaigned on a fresh economic platform prioritizing ordinary Americans, departing considerably from the Old Guard Republican Party that came before him. But how much of that innovative thinking will actually become policy in his second term?

Oren Cass appeared at the American Economic Association's annual meeting on a panel alongside former Council of Economic Advisors Jason Furman (Obama admin) and Richard Burkhauser (Trump admin) as well as economist Kimberly Clausing, to make sense of what will come next, and the forces that could try to slow down the president-elect's changes. 

This is the first in a two-part series from the discussion, focused on trade and industrial policy. Stay tuned for more soon.

Every political movement needs a home for its ideas. Commonplace is the answer for today’s right-of-center.

On this episode, Helen Andrews, our new features editor, joins Oren to discuss the forthcoming launch of Commonplace—a new magazine from American Compass, making sense of the political, economic, and cultural concerns that shape America today.

Helen unpacks how a conservative media universe dedicated to replaying the hits of the 1980s created the need for a new intellectual home. Looking ahead, she previews some of the pieces readers can look forward to reading later this month and explains how Commonplace will work to get to the heart of what matters in America.

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Commonplace for updates, and follow the magazine on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Has the devotion to unbridled free markets in recent decades benefited or harmed the United States? Earlier this month, Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) and Oren Cass sat down for a live, wide-ranging discussion of the unintended consequences of America’s approach to manufacturing, and whether free trade is to blame for changes in our domestic industrial base. They explore how conservatives should think about trade and one potential policy response that’s getting lots of air time lately: tariffs.

Plus: To be the first to hear about the launch of our new magazine in January, subscribe here: commonplace.org.

On this episode, Oren is joined by FTC Chair Lina Khan for a wide-ranging conversation about competition, antitrust, and why the lack of strong enforcement hurts American consumers, small businesses, and our politics.

The two talk through the decline in competition in the U.S. economy and how it has created fragile markets prone to shortages and undermined our economic wellbeing. They explore opportunities for bipartisan cooperation on antitrust enforcement, and what principles should guide competition policy.

Plus: Khan explains what chicken farmers taught her about corporate power and the role of fear in our economy.

On this episode, Institute for Progress senior editor Santi Ruiz joins Oren to talk about government efficiency, state capacity, and what President-elect Trump's focus on revitalizing the way government works could hope to accomplish in the swamp.

The two discuss Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and how the effort can avoid the pitfalls of previous blue-ribbon commissions and other ineffective efforts to rein in the administrative state. And they walk through why optimizing government requires new investment, not just cutting red-tape.

For more, read Ruiz's recent piece on the subject at Statecraft: "How to Fix Defense Procurement."

On this episode, physician, psychologist, and best-selling author Dr. Leonard Sax joins Oren to talk about the disastrous state of modern parenting, and how to pull a generation of young people back from the brink.

The two walk through the how parents have abandoned teaching their kids about right and wrong, the rise of "gentle parenting" in place of traditional ideas of parental authority, and how these strategies set kids up for failure.

And they two discuss how it all intersects with the rise of social media and caustic cultural changes.

For more, check out Dr. Sax's recently re-released book on the subject, The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups.

On this episode, coalition director Duncan Braid joins Oren to discuss American Compass's Back to Work agenda, which provides a comprehensive set of executive actions that the Trump-Vance administration should take to prioritize working families, domestic industry, and national economic strength when they take office.

The two discuss how the president can deliver meaningful, rapid change on issues from the border and immigration to the economy and inflation. And the two talk through one of the most contentious battles on the Right today—the issue of tariffs—and how they can be used to put the wellbeing of the American people at the center of trade policy.

For more, read Duncan's recent essay on The Commons, about where and how the administration can direct their electoral mandate, "'Great Again' is a Promise."

On this episode, Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow Henry Olsen joins Oren to unpack the demographic earthquake that led to the re-election of President Donald Trump and why it will force both parties to focus on Americans' real interests.

The two discuss what the victory holds for the future of a Republican Party grounded in the interests of this multi-ethnic working-class coalition, from shutting down illegal immigration to shifting away from a devotion to free trade, as well as the "landmines" in doing so. And they explain why the win is a death knell for conservatives who want to return to the pre-Trump economic and political consensus.

For more, read Olsen's recent piece on The Commons, "Mapping Out the 2024 Stakes."

On this episode, Newsweek opinion editor Batya Ungar-Sargon joins to explain the multi-ethnic working-class coalition that propelled Donald Trump to an electoral victory, and the types of policies that could support these forgotten Americans in Trump's second term.

The two discuss the issues that animated the swing in nonwhite working-class voters and how Donald Trump can build an America that benefits everyone, economically and culturally. 

For more, read Ungar-Sargon's latest piece on The Commons, "Revolt of the Normies," and pick up her book that anticipated this political realignment, Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Women.

American Compass Chairman Michael Needham joins Oren Cass to share his reaction to former President Donald Trump's landslide election victory. The two explain why, even after all the claims about the "end of democracy" and Trump's supposed autocratic designs, the results shouldn't surprise anyone.

And they discuss the political realignment—particularly among Hispanic voters, who turned out for Trump across numerous swing states—that made his victory possible, as well as the promise that his second term holds for a revitalized American economy. 

For more, read Oren's and Mike's pieces reacting to Trump's victory.