The American Compass Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Future of Capitalism: A Conversation with Glenn Hubbard Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

This special episode of the American Compass podcast features a wide-ranging conversation between Oren Cass and Glenn Hubbard on the future of capitalism that took place recently at Columbia Business School. They cover the waterfront: everything from labor and productivity to private equity and investment, from technology and automation to China and globalization. Plus, Oren discusses what he calls the "secret sauce of capitalism."

Talkin’ (Policy) Shop: GOP Voters and the Realignment Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

We’re back! Welcome to season two of Talkin’ (Policy) Shop. This season, Oren and Chris will be discussing Issues 2024, our new series of policy briefs covering the issues that are (or should be) driving the primary campaign.
On the first episode of this season, we’re digging into the results of our new poll of GOP primary voters, which finds a substantial preference for the New Right’s worker-first framing of key economic challenges to the Old Right’s business-friendly approach.
Read the full poll: The New Conservative Voter

Critics Corner: Tax Foundation’s Erica York on Tariffs Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

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)

Critics Corner with Avik Roy on “Freedom Conservatism” Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

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 Principles
Oren Cass, Financial Times: Freedom Conservatism Is Much Ado About Nothing
Avik Roy: Why I Signed the Freedom Conservatism Statement of Principles

Sen. J.D. Vance on Financialization, Labor, and Rebuilding American Capitalism Jun 30, 2023

Show notes

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.

Sen. Marco Rubio on Globalization and Rebuilding American Capitalism Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

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.

Sen. Todd Young on Industrial Policy and Rebuilding American Capitalism Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

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.

Sen. Tom Cotton on Education and Rebuilding American Capitalism Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

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.

Talkin’ (Policy) Shop: Back to Basics for Corporate Finance May 25, 2023

Show notes

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 Finance
Confronting 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)

Critics Corner with FreedomWorks’ Phil Bell on the Railway Safety Act May 18, 2023

Show notes

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.

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