The Bully Pulpit has merged with the Let's Find Common Ground podcast. As the tone of public discourse becomes increasingly angry and divisive, Let's Find Common Ground offers a healing path to reaching agreement and moving forward. At the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, we bring together top Republicans and Democrats to transcend partisan divisions and explore solutions to our most pressing national and global challenges. Join veteran strategists Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy along…
CPF Director Bob Shrum talks with former U.S. Representative Claudine Schneider (R-RI) about climate policy under the Trump administration and how Democrats and Republicans can cooperate on climate change issues. This conversation is part of CPF's "Climate Forward 2026" conference in partnership with the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability. Featuring: - Claudine Schneider:…
Former California Senator Martha Escutia talks with Mary Nichols, Alex Nieves, and Nancy Sutley on the role of states and cities as leaders in climate change. They discuss the challenges to climate policy under the Trump Administration and California's role as a leader in climate change. This conversation is part of CPF's "Climate Forward 2026" conference in partnership with the USC Wrigley…
CPF's "Climate Forward 2026" conference features a talk with USC Wrigley Institute Director Joe Árvai and Michael S. Regan, 16th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. They discuss the role of the EPA, climate change and environmental justice in the Trump administration, and how politics impact climate action. This conference is in partnership with the USC Wrigley Institute for…
CPF and the USC Open Dialogue Project host a conversation on free speech in the United States with former ACLU President Nadine Strossen and USC Gould Dean Franita Tolson. They discuss free speech law, misconceptions, and how First Amendment conflicts shape politics, the courts, and civil liberties. This conversation is in partnership with Voices for Liberty, USC Gould School of Law, USC Heterodox…
Former Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin moderates a conversation with political experts David Crane, Bob Hertzberg, and Richard Leib on how California's tax structure compares nationally. They discuss whether the state's high revenue levels translate into effective public and private outcomes, and what reforms could better align fiscal policy with performance. CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan…
POLITICO's Melanie Mason moderates a conversation with political experts Douglas Becker, Susan Estrich, Ken Khachigian, and Hank Plante on the history of political parties in California, voter trends from the 2024 presidential election, how the "Trump factor" affects Democrats and Republicans, and the upcoming 2026 midterms. This conversation is part of CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving…
CPF's "California at 175: Stuck or Moving Forward?" conference begins with welcome remarks from CPF Co-Director Mike Murphy, CPF Managing Director Kamy Akhavan, and Neeraj Sood, USC Open Dialogue Project Director. Spring 2026 CPF Fellow Seema Mehta moderates a conversation with political experts Mike Bonin, Fernando Guerra, Mike Murphy, and Amy Thoma Tan on the 2026 ballot initiatives in…
CPF hosts a conversation with attorney and legal scholar Jonathan Turley and USC Professor Morris Levy about Turley's new book, "Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution." They discuss the crisis of faith in American institutions, how key lessons from history can guide us through today's radical reform and political instability, and how the state of politics today…
Spring 2026 CPF Fellow Seema Mehta joins redistricting experts Christian Grose, Paul Mitchell, Matt Rexroad, and Amy Thoma Tan for a conversation on Prop 50, redistricting, and the future of representation in the United States. They discuss the history of redistricting, California's Proposition 50, Texas's redistricting bill, and how this influences political power, changing political norms, and…
CPF Director Bob Shrum joins James Cleverly, former UK Secretary of State for the Home Department, for a conversation on the past, present, and future of US-UK relations. They discuss how leadership transitions, elections, and global crises shape cooperation between Washington and London, and what the next chapter of this transatlantic relationship may hold. This conversation is in partnership…