Compact, an online magazine founded in 2022, seeks a new political center devoted to the common good. Believing that political forces, not economic ones, should determine our common life, we draw on the social-democratic tradition to argue for an order marked by authentic freedom, social stability, and shared prosperity. Though we have definite opinions, we proudly publish writers with whom we disagree.
To support our work, please subscribe.
What They're Saying
“A very of-the-moment project”—James Pogue, Vanity Fair
“[A] well-curated mélange of voices from both left and right."—Michael Kazin, The New Republic
“From the start, Compact took material conditions seriously.”—Michelle Goldberg, The New York Times
“I love Compact for a simple reason: because it is precisely not compact—it is a battlefield of ideas often in conflict with each other. Only in this way can something new emerge today.”—Slavoj Žižek
“We have more voices offering opinions these days than ever. But so many sound just alike. Not at Compact. It’s utterly unique—a place where populists left and right find common ground and articulate the fresh ideas our moment calls for.”—Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)
Contact us
All inquiries, including media questions, subscription issues, and unsolicited submissions, should be directed to info@compactmag.com. For submissions, the recommended “pitch” is a short summary of what you would propose to write, plus a one-sentence biography. We strive to respond to all submissions, but if you haven’t heard back from us in a fortnight, it is safe to assume we won’t be able to accept your contribution.
Who We Are
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View articles by Matthew Schmitz →Matthew Schmitz is the editor of Compact and one of its founders. Previously he was a senior editor of First Things. His essays on politics and culture have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Politico, Tablet, and First Things .A native of O'Neill, Neb., he holds a bachelor’s in English from Princeton University and lives in New York City with his wife and four sons.
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View articles by Geoff Shullenberger →Geoff Shullenberger is managing editor of Compact. His writing has appeared in American Affairs, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New Atlantis, Tablet, UnHerd, and the Washington Examiner. He is co-editor of the book Covid-19 and the Left: The Tyranny of Fear. He holds a doctorate in comparative literature from Brown University and was previously clinical associate professor of expository writing at New York University.
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View articles by Ashley Frawley →Ashley Frawley is senior editor of Compact. A visiting research fellow at Mathias Corvinus Collegium Brussels and visiting researcher at the University of Kent, she previously served as associate professor of sociology at Swansea University. She is the author of two books, Semiotics of Happiness: Rhetorical Beginnings of a Public Problem and Significant Emotions: Rhetoric and Social Problems in a Vulnerable Age. Her writing has appeared in UnHerd, The New Statesman, First Things, Spiked, and Sublation. Originally from Canada and a member of Nipissing First Nation, she holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Kent.
For a full list of columnists and contributing editors, visit the Masthead →