The Democratic National Convention dominated the news this week, and Democrats published their party platform for Americans to read. It’s hard to ignore the clear similarities that Oren Cass and American Compass have with Democrat policy priorities.
American Compass’ tax and fiscal policy, and their philosophy on capitalism, labor, and industrial policy most closely resembles the Democrats’ party platform.
Tax Cuts
Cass has criticized Republican tax policy and called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “an expensive failure.” American Compass advocates for letting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire and implementing a $150 billion tax increase.
Democrats’ Platform: Corporate profits have doubled since the pandemic, yet Trump wants to reward corporations with another big tax cut. Republicans are doubling down on Trump’s failed approach and have proposed $1 trillion in new corporate tax cuts.
Capitalism
Cass argued that the Republican Party should abandon its attachment to free market principles and said “We really like capitalism, but we recognize it’s not working right now.”
Democrats’ Platform: Today, corporate consolidation is allowing companies to keep raking in historic profits, while continuing to raise prices for working families. In the two decades before President Biden came to office, three-quarters of American industries grew more concentrated. As the President often says, capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism, it’s exploitation. And the American people are tired of being played for suckers.
Labor
Cass praised organized labor and collective bargaining, calling them “great ideas.” American Compass called the American Labor movement “a vital institution” while arguing that “conservatives should be willing” to consider labor practices including sectoral bargaining, work councils, and labor seats on corporate boards, and unions control of unemployment insurance.
American Compass doesn’t just support organized labor as idea concept, they’ve actually embraced union bosses. David Rolf, the former President of the SEIU, became a member of the American Compass Advisory Board while he was still an SEIU consultant.
Democrats’ Platform: We oppose state right-to-work laws, which drive down wages and leave workers unsafe; and we support penalizing employers who engage in union busting. We’ll work to pass the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, guaranteeing public sector bargaining rights; and to codify a right to organize for domestic workers, farm workers, and other unprotected laborers. Democrats will continue to create strong labor standards for jobs created with taxpayer dollars through legislation and with strong Buy American rules.
Industrial Policies
Cass praised the Biden Administration’s CHIPS Act, and played an important role in convincing Republican senators to back the legislation. American Compass called it an “initial step” to address industrial decline.
Democrats’ Platform: Democrats are also taking historic steps to bring home critical supply chains, and to reaffirm our nation’s leadership in cutting-edge industries that America in fact often pioneered. After the pandemic exposed our reliance on foreign-made semiconductors, we passed the CHIPS and Science Act, to restore America’s role producing the tiny computer chips needed to make everything from cell phones to dishwashers to cars.
American Compass claims to be developing a new “conservative” agenda. However, when many of their policies and philosophies are indistinguishable from the Democrats’ party platform, the “conservative” label they attach to them should be met with great skepticism.