Critique of Oren Cass’s nostalgic protectionist vision for the U.S. economy
Oren Cass, a self-described right-leaning economist, argues that Trump-style tariffs will revive manufacturing and restore a post-World War II wage standard.
In a recent Substack essay, Oren Cass, founder and chief economist of the think tank American Compass, champions President Donald Trump’s tariff policy as a catalyst for a domestic manufacturing boom. He imagines a return to an era when a single factory wage could support a family and a stay-at-home parent. The piece presents this protectionist outlook as a solution to contemporary economic challenges, despite Cass’s conservative self-identification.
Why it matters
The essay influences debate over trade policy and the feasibility of protectionist strategies in modern America.
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