The American Compass Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Leading Citizens with Dr. Matt Mehan Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

Curtailing public chaos and institutional corruption are vital objectives to reclaiming a healthy American citizenship. But what can ordinary people do to rein in corrupt elites? And why have elected officials failed to push back for generations?
Dr. Matt Mehan, associate dean of Hillsdale College's Graduate School of Government, joins Oren and Chris to make sense of what went wrong. They discuss how a fixation on legal rights has crowded out a public commitment to the responsibilities and duties inherent in citizenship, and why that shift has done so much damage. Finally, they discuss Dr. Mehan's new book, The American Book of Fables, and why his work to adapt timeless lessons for the youngest generation is so important at a moment defined by declining educational quality and oversaturation of technology.
Further Reading:

The American Book of Fablesby Matt Mehan

Training the Whole Worker with Dr. Jacob Imam Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

The traditional four-year college degree is dramatically falling out of favor with parents and would-be students. One clear problem is that today's educational offerings don't help students build the skills they really need, both for the jobs of the future and for a meaningful life after graduation.
Dr. Jacob Imam, president of The College of St. Joseph the Worker, joins Oren and policy director Chris Griswold to describe what makes his college so different: a classroom experience matched with an intensive focus on physical skills and learning the trades. They make sense of why blending the intellectual and manual pursuits is so beneficial not just just for students, but to the college's local community, and the world beyond. Finally, they discuss how this alternative approach can be scaled up to address America's lack of skilled workers needed for reindustrialization.

When There’s No One to Call with Sam Pressler Jun 19, 2026

Show notes

Many men without college degrees have nearly nonexistent social support, and are often one point of failure away from living in isolation, according to a new research report, Nobody to Call. Their lives are perilous: moving to a new town, losing a job, or the death of a friend could leave them fully divorced from their communities.
Sam Pressler, lead author of the paper and a practitioner fellow at the University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy, joins Oren and Chris to unpack the risks facing men without college degrees. They make sense of why life has gotten so hard for this group, from reduced working-class job prospects to declining college matriculation and other post-high school pathways, as well as barriers to marriage. And they discuss the kinds of social programs currently available to these men, compared to what they really need.
Further reading:

Nobody to Call
“‘The Vibes Are Not Good’,” Oren Cass, Commonplace

What Does 'Tech' Really Mean? with Cory Gardner Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

Political conversations around tech tend to gravitate toward AI, chips, and advanced robotics, but these topics are far removed from what most Americans think of as the types of technology that power their daily lives. For most, tech is about cable, or streaming, and how they connect to the internet.
Former U.S. senator Cory Gardner, now president and CEO of NCTA, the Internet & Television Association, joins Oren to walk through the political dynamics tied to these issues. They discuss why access to spectrum is so important and make sense of the future of 6G, and explore why China presents a threat to not just Americans' wireless access but also their data security. They close with a discussion on how to keep kids safe on the internet, and how feasible age-gating really is.

How to Reclaim American Citizenship with Chris Griswold Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

At the 2026 New World Gala, American Compass introduced Reclaiming American Citizenship, a new "project for the people" to confront the existential task of revitalizing what it means to be an American citizen, not merely as a matter of who gets to be here, but about the responsibilities inherent in that privilege. Compass policy advisor Chris Griswold joins Oren to make sense of what doing so means in practice on the eve of America's 250th anniversary.
They discuss how a fuller understanding of being a citizen breaks from the libertarian notion that liberty is merely a question of maximizing the freedom to do what one wants, and how a commitment to the latter has done so much damage to our body politic. And they outline the pillars of how to reclaim our citizenship, and what America could look like if we did.
Further reading:

Reclaiming American Citizenship, American Compass

Economic Security Is National Security with Scott Bessent Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

After decades of sacrificing economic security for the sake of the free market, American policymakers are returning to the wisdom that economic security and national security are inextricably linked. At American Compass’s 2026 New World Gala, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joined Oren to explain why this shift is vital for the national interest.
They talk through how COVID didn’t create but revealed our supply chain crisis for vital resources, and what the Trump administration is doing, from pharmaceuticals to military readiness and beyond, to restore preparedness. Finally, they discuss the “raw deal” so many young Americans have gotten in today’s “lottery economy,” and how to restore hope in the system.
Further reading:

Reclaiming American Citizenship, American Compass

Magnifica Humanitas with Chris Griswold, Leah Sargeant, and Max Bodach May 29, 2026

Show notes

Pope Leo XIV’s highly anticipated encyclical marks a significant milestone in the debate around artificial intelligence and what it means for the future of humanity.

To analyze the document and its many implications, Oren speaks with American Compass policy director Chris Griswold, Foundation for American Innovation executive vice president Max Bodach, and Leah Sargeant, editorial director at the Institute for Progress and author of Other Feminisms and The Dignity of Dependence. The group discusses to what extent AI can exhibit human characteristics, the Pope’s surprisingly strong takedown of universal basic income, and what the encyclical says about the new technology’s potential role in labor relations.

They conclude by looking at how the United States should approach AI development, competition, and regulation, and how to balance those competing interests while keeping an eye on global allies and adversaries alike.

America's Foreign Policy Future with A. Wess Mitchell May 22, 2026

Show notes

Foreign policy debates have taken center stage in the second Trump administration, from U.S.-China relations to the ongoing war in Iran.

To assess the situation, Oren speaks with A. Wess Mitchell, who co-founded The Marathon Initiative along with Elbridge Colby and served as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs during the first Trump administration. Cass and Mitchell discuss the renewed intensity of foreign policy debates, particularly on the Right-of-center, the posture of the United States during the post-Cold War era, the Iran war, and the correlation between economic and military power.

They conclude by looking at the future of American power abroad, and what it will take for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in global affairs amid both a rising national debt and increased defense spending.

Why Democrats Can't Learn with Ruy Teixeira May 15, 2026

Show notes

The Democratic Party continues to reel from its 2024 electoral defeat and struggles to connect with the American people. But the party remains captured by special interests and sacred cows that itsleaders refuse to confront.
Few understand this dynamic better than Ruy Teixeira, author and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and founder of The Liberal Patriot, a now-defunct newsletter. He and Oren discuss what happened to TLP, formerly a source of difficult truths for Democrats, how the advocate class has moved the party so rapidly to the left, and why the Democratic establishment so stubbornly refuses to learn anything new. They conclude by looking at what it all means for the future of both parties, and whether there's an off-ramp for the polarization dominating American politics.

The End of the Iran War? with Bradley Devlin May 08, 2026

Show notes

What’s going on in Iran? Who controls the Strait of Hormuz? And why did America get involved in the first place?
Bradley Devlin, politics editor at the Daily Signal, joins Oren to try to make sense of the current state of the U.S. military operation in Iran. They discuss why President Trump deployed troops in the first place, the various ways a peace deal could shake out, and what path forward is really in the interest of the American people.

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