<![CDATA[Commonplace: The American Compass Podcast]]>https://www.commonplace.org/s/the-american-compass-podcasthttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7iuy!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d2a9ee4-7371-49b6-a705-af04db7dfce7_1280x1280.pngCommonplace: The American Compass Podcasthttps://www.commonplace.org/s/the-american-compass-podcastSubstackSat, 22 Aug 2026 01:44:04 GMT<![CDATA[Is Kansas Richer than Canada? with Jeff Reimer and Brian Dijkema]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/is-kansas-richer-than-canada-withhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/is-kansas-richer-than-canada-withFri, 07 Aug 2026 15:04:19 GMTIn an apples-to-apples comparison of GDP per capita, eight of Canada’s ten provinces are poorer than nearly all U.S. states. But how much can GDP really tell us? Is most of Canada really poorer in any meaningful sense than Kansas?

Two writers, Jeff Reimer, a Kansan and senior editor at Comment, and Brian Dijkema, the Ontario-based president of Cardus, journeyed to both locations to find out. They join guest host Chris Griswold to recount their travels, discuss the quality-of-life context that GDP can’t measure, and make sense of the similarities, and key differences, on each side of the border.

Further reading:

]]><![CDATA[Is the AI Apocalypse Already Here? with Gregory Conti]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/is-the-ai-apocalypse-already-herehttps://www.commonplace.org/p/is-the-ai-apocalypse-already-hereFri, 31 Jul 2026 15:03:51 GMTArtificial intelligence is often discussed as a threat to human flourishing, undermining everything from jobs to education to literacy. Is there anything that can be done to mitigate that future damage? Is it already too late?

Gregory Conti, associate professor at Princeton University, joins Oren and Chris to discuss whether there’s anything to be done to stop AI. The group discusses Conti’s recent writing in Compact, where he’s an editor-at-large, making the case that we’re already living in the wake of the technology’s destruction. And they dive into specific policies, from banning tech in the classroom, to age-gating social media, to shutting down AI altogether, and whether they can be accomplished.

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]]><![CDATA[The Data Centers Battle with Josh Zoffer]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/the-data-centers-battle-with-joshhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/the-data-centers-battle-with-joshFri, 24 Jul 2026 09:52:07 GMTFew political issues have united Americans the way that a resistance to new data centers to support the development of AI has done in recent months. But is this anger and opposition toward them misplaced, and even a threat to American reindustrialization?

Josh Zoffer, a venture capitalist and Biden administration alum, joins Oren on the podcast to discuss the ongoing fight on data centers. Zoffer explains the thinking from his recent Financial Times piece, "Data centres are a crucial test of US industrial resolve," and why he thinks their construction is vital to America's success in the AI race with China. And he and Oren discuss how data centers fit into the broader, bipartisan push to build up domestic industrial capacity more broadly.

]]><![CDATA[The Future of Labor Law with Roger King]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/the-future-of-labor-law-with-rogerhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/the-future-of-labor-law-with-rogerFri, 17 Jul 2026 15:17:23 GMTThere's a political realignment taking place when it comes to labor law. Republicans from the White House down to the local level are increasingly championing worker rights against corporate interests. But will this change take root in the GOP? And should it?

Roger King, senior labor and employment counsel at the CHRO Association joins Oren on the podcast to make sense of the changes over the last decade, and debate the merits of some of the labor legislation on the table. They discuss the Faster Labor Contracts Act, a bill to speed up initial collective bargaining agreements that recently passed the House of Representatives and is under consideration in the Senate. And they talk bigger picture, about what today's workers really need, and where recent efforts could risk overcorrecting.

]]><![CDATA[Leading Citizens with Dr. Matt Mehan]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/leading-citizens-with-dr-matt-mehanhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/leading-citizens-with-dr-matt-mehanFri, 10 Jul 2026 10:06:12 GMTCurtailing 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:

]]><![CDATA[Training the Whole Worker with Dr. Jacob Imam]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/training-the-whole-worker-with-drhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/training-the-whole-worker-with-drTue, 30 Jun 2026 10:53:04 GMTThe 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 so is 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.

]]><![CDATA[When There’s No One to Call with Sam Pressler]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/when-theres-no-one-to-call-with-samhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/when-theres-no-one-to-call-with-samFri, 19 Jun 2026 09:58:57 GMTMany 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.

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]]><![CDATA[What Does 'Tech' Really Mean? with Cory Gardner]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/what-does-tech-really-mean-with-coryhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/what-does-tech-really-mean-with-coryFri, 12 Jun 2026 10:03:03 GMTPolitical 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.

]]><![CDATA[How to Reclaim American Citizenship with Chris Griswold]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/how-to-reclaim-american-citizenshiphttps://www.commonplace.org/p/how-to-reclaim-american-citizenshipFri, 05 Jun 2026 10:03:06 GMTAt 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.

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]]><![CDATA[Economic Security Is National Security with Scott Bessent]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/economic-security-is-national-securityhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/economic-security-is-national-securityWed, 03 Jun 2026 21:31:53 GMTAfter 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.

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]]><![CDATA[Magnifica Humanitas with Chris Griswold, Leah Sargeant, and Max Bodach]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/magnifica-humanitas-with-chris-griswoldhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/magnifica-humanitas-with-chris-griswoldFri, 29 May 2026 10:03:03 GMTPope 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.

]]><![CDATA[America's Foreign Policy Future with A. Wess Mitchell]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/americas-foreign-policy-future-withhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/americas-foreign-policy-future-withFri, 22 May 2026 10:02:17 GMTForeign 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.

]]><![CDATA[Why Democrats Can't Learn with Ruy Teixeira]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/why-democrats-cant-learn-with-ruyhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/why-democrats-cant-learn-with-ruyFri, 15 May 2026 09:56:48 GMTThe 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 its leaders 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.

]]><![CDATA[The End of the Iran War? with Bradley Devlin]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/the-end-of-the-iran-war-with-bradleyhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/the-end-of-the-iran-war-with-bradleyFri, 08 May 2026 13:03:50 GMTWhat’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.

]]><![CDATA[A Real Fix for the Affordability Crisis with Chris Griswold]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/a-real-fix-for-the-affordabilityhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/a-real-fix-for-the-affordabilityFri, 01 May 2026 18:26:51 GMTThe affordability crisis has become Washington’s favorite talking point, but the solutions proposed so far won’t solve it. From capital gains tax cuts pitched as relief to renewed enthusiasm for Chinese investment as a growth strategy, many policymakers are circling the problem without addressing its core drivers: stagnant wages, distorted incentives in trade and industrial policy, and an economy that has stopped reliably producing gains for working Americans.

Chris Griswold, policy director at American Compass, joins Oren to discuss how affordability is less about marginal tax tweaks and more about rebuilding the productive foundations of the economy. They also explain why proposals to deepen economic integration with China ignore the strategic and structural realities of a state-directed competitor. Finally, they explore what a more honest political message would look like heading into the midterms, one that connects affordability to wages, industry, and national strategy rather than short-term price relief.

]]><![CDATA[The Net Neutrality Panic with Ajit Pai]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/the-net-neutrality-panic-with-ajithttps://www.commonplace.org/p/the-net-neutrality-panic-with-ajitFri, 24 Apr 2026 10:23:47 GMTThe fight over net neutrality was supposed to determine the future of the internet. Advocates of net neutrality warned that repealing it would lead to censorship, higher costs, and the collapse of an open web. But nearly a decade later, those predictions never materialized, and the debate has taken on new significance as broadband, 5G, and AI become central to economic growth and national power. What was once treated as a moral emergency now looks more like a case study in regulatory overreach and political panic.

Ajit Pai, former chairman of the FCC, and current CEO of CTIA, joins Drew Holden to revisit the net neutrality battle and assess its legacy. They discuss why the backlash became so intense, what actually happened after net neutrality’s repeal, and how the policy shift affected investment in broadband and wireless infrastructure. They also explore the stakes of today’s telecom landscape, from the race with China over 5G and role of spectrum in AI development, and consider what it will take for the United States to maintain its technological advantage.

]]><![CDATA[Measuring Machine Intelligence with Chris Painter]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/measuring-machine-intelligence-withhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/measuring-machine-intelligence-withFri, 17 Apr 2026 09:51:58 GMTArtificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, but our ability to measure what these systems can actually do—and the risks they may pose—has lagged behind. Headline benchmarks and viral demos offer snapshots of a system's performance, but they say little about how AI behaves in complex real-world settings or how much autonomy models can sustain over time. As these systems take on more consequential roles, the challenge is not just building more powerful models, but developing credible ways to evaluate their capabilities and limits.

Chris Painter, president of Model Evaluation and Threat Research (METR), joins Oren to discuss how researchers are building new frameworks to assess AI systems and what those efforts reveal about the trajectory of machine intelligence. They explore “time horizon” as a measure of autonomy, the difficulty of evaluating alignment and sabotage risks, and the constraints posed by compute and organizational bottlenecks. They also consider what it will look like when AI systems begin contributing even more to their own development and their capabilities outpace our ability to measure them.

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]]><![CDATA[Neither Girlboss, Nor Tradwife with Emma Waters]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/neither-girlboss-nor-tradwife-withhttps://www.commonplace.org/p/neither-girlboss-nor-tradwife-withFri, 10 Apr 2026 10:03:40 GMT“Girlboss” feminism promised a world in which women could seamlessly balance ambitious careers and flourishing family lives. But in practice, that vision has proven far more brittle, often demanding total commitment to work while sidelining marriage, children, and the realities of time and tradeoffs. While many women are moving away from that all-consuming focus on a career, they’re looking for something much different than what the Instagram tradwife has to offer.

Emma Waters, senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation and author of the recently released Lead Like Jael, joins Oren to explore what comes next. They discuss the backlash against career-first feminism, the rise and limits of “tradwife” culture, and the emerging case for a more flexible, family-centered approach to work. They also examine the class divide underlying these debates, the role of technology in reshaping women’s choices, and how policymakers and employers could better support a model that allows women to prioritize both work and family without forcing an all-or-nothing choice.

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Further Reading:

]]><![CDATA[Fixing Finance with Rohit Chopra]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/fixing-finance-with-rohit-choprahttps://www.commonplace.org/p/fixing-finance-with-rohit-chopraFri, 27 Mar 2026 09:51:37 GMTThe financial industry is supposed to be our economy’s plumbing, quietly channeling capital to investments where it’s needed most. But in today’s system, that plumbing is leaking. From rising credit card rates and opaque lending products to the decline of local banking and the growth of speculative activity, the financial sector is increasingly disconnected from the real economy it was built to serve.

Rohit Chopra, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, joins Oren to examine how finance lost its purpose and what it would take to restore it. They discuss the limits of regulation versus enforcement, the rise of non-bank financial products, and the growing concentration of credit markets. They also consider whether novel activities like online sports betting and prediction represent genuine innovation or simply new ways to extract more money from consumers.

]]><![CDATA[Want to End Illegal Immigration? Hire American, with Daniel Kishi]]>https://www.commonplace.org/p/want-to-end-illegal-immigration-hirehttps://www.commonplace.org/p/want-to-end-illegal-immigration-hireFri, 20 Mar 2026 18:31:41 GMTImmigration enforcement has long been framed as a question of border security, but the Trump administration’s success at stopping illegal crossings has turned the public’s attention toward removing illegal aliens who have become enmeshed in communities across America. Now, the administration’s challenge will be enforcing immigration law in our labor market.

Daniel Kishi, senior policy advisor at American Compass, joins Oren to discuss what effective immigration enforcement actually requires. They explore why targeting employers may be more effective than high-profile raids, how weak enforcement distorts labor markets and suppresses wages, and what the administration’s shifting strategy reveals about the politics of immigration. They also examine the structural flaws in the H-1B visa program, from below-market wage rules to the lottery system, and consider whether temporary worker programs can truly serve the national interest. Finally, they turn to the trucking industry, assessing how relaxed standards and unauthorized labor reshaped the market and how recent crackdowns from the administration are beginning to restore wages, safety, and the rule of law.

Further Reading:

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