The American Compass Podcast
Our mission is to restore an economic consensus that emphasizes the importance of family, community, and industry to the nation’s liberty and prosperity. The American Compass Podcast features conversations on a wide variety of policy issues aimed at helping policymakers and the broader public navigate the most pressing issues that will define the future of the conservative movement in America.
The American Compass Podcast
A Real Fix for the Affordability Crisis with Chris Griswold
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The 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.