Conservative economics gives policymakers the tools to understand capitalism and harness its power for the benefit of American workers, their families and communities, and the national interest.

 

Rich Terrell

. . ."Thus, in conservative economics, free markets are a means to an end, not an end unto themselves. They are necessary but not sufficient to the economy’s proper ends—not only rising consumption, but also expanding the nation’s productive capacity, preserving its institutions, and supporting its families. Capitalism has an unparalleled ability to generate widespread prosperity. But it succeeds only when competing firms pursue profit by investing in the productive use and fair compensation of labor, and when people are well-equipped to engage in the market as entrepreneurs and workers and in their communities as citizens. Public policy plays an indispensable role in maintaining those conditions.

"At American Compass, we work to restore this conservative economic tradition, atop which our nation rose from colonial backwater to continent-spanning industrial colossus. We believe that conservative economics demands a focus on:

Productive Markets: Policymakers must constrain destructive and speculative profit-seeking and channel both talent and investment toward productive pursuits that advance the nation’s liberty and prosperity. Read More

Supportive Communities: Policymakers must foster the institutions that allow the market to deliver on its promise for workers, their families, and the nation. Read More

Responsive Politics: Policymakers must focus on the outcomes that people define as most important through democratic politics, rather than merely accepting those deemed most efficient by market logic. Read More