Welcome to The Gray Area. I’m your host, and today we’re talking about a fresh vision for conservative economics. For decades, the American right has “stayed on brand” with three mantras: “low taxes, free markets, deregulation.” But Oren Cass, founder of think tank America Compass, argues it’s time for a conservative, pro-worker turn. He asks: is it possible to lower our trade deficit, bring manufacturing back to the US, and get Americans buying American-made products?

Cass lays out a plan to reward work and strengthen families by designing policies that “incentivize behavior we actually want” — like investing in local factories, valuing caregiving, and boosting homegrown innovation. He says economic policy should shift from abstract growth targets to real­world outcomes: good jobs with rising wages and communities that thrive.

Today’s debate isn’t about left versus right — it’s about whether conservatives can forge an agenda that puts workers first and rebuilds America’s economic foundation from the ground up. Thanks for listening to The Gray Area.
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