The American Compass Podcast

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

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.

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

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

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.