Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation by reportedly nailing 95 theological theses to the door of Wittenberg’s church. The website of Oren Cass’s new think tank, American Compass, could be the start of a similar, long-overdue Conservative Reformation.
American Compass has lofty ambitions. Per its mission statement, it seeks to “restore an economic consensus that emphasizes the importance of family, community, and industry to the nation’s liberty and prosperity.” In case that’s too abstract, the website highlights a quotation from 19th-century Whig statesman Henry Clay. “Free trade! Free trade!” the quotation goes. “The call for free trade, is as unavailing as the cry of a spoiled child. … It never has existed; it never will exist."
