Let's Find Common Ground

Former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer joins Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad to discuss women's rights in the Middle East and her documentary film "Be My Voice," which chronicles her movement against Iran's policy of mandatory head covering for women. Featuring: Barbara Boxer - Former U.S. Senator (D-CA) and Fall 2020 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Masih Alinejad - Journalis...

Education expert Alan Arkatov joins current and former school officials Lisa Korbatov, Nick Melvoin, Pedro Noguera, and Darline Robles to discuss the mixing of school boards, parental involvement, and appropriate content in today's often hyper-partisan school board environments. Featuring: Alan Arkatov - Katzman/Ernst Chair in Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology and Innovation; Center EDGE Fo...

America has the highest rates of incarceration in the world. Once people leave prison the hope is that they'll be law-abiding, productive members of society. But all too often this isn't the case – four in ten prisoners are back behind bars within three years of release. In this episode, we meet two men who want to fix the US's flawed re-entry process. And they come from very different backgrounds...

Congressman Jamie Raskin Talks "Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy" CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to discuss the latest in the House select committee hearings investigating the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill, the importance of bipartisan cooperation, and the legacy of his late son and father. Featuring: Bob Shrum - Director, Center for...

What is the military's role in protecting democracy? The question took on a new sense of urgency in the months after the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2020. A deep partisan divide opened up over what actually happened on that day, how to describe the chaotic events, and who should be held responsible. After decades of service in the U.S. military, retired Brigadier General Steven Anders...

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy are joined by John Chiang, former California State Treasurer, and David Crane, former advisor to Gov. Schwarzenegger, to assess California's governance and government services amid rising housing costs and tax rates, and the future of the so-called "golden state." Featuring: Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Pract...

Black History Month is a celebration of the remarkable contributions of black Americans to our nation. Some of our guests share their personal thoughts and stories about the lessons of history. We learn about the legacy of the civil rights movement, and recent calls for social change, justice, reform, and respect. This episode includes extracts from past podcasts and a Common Ground Committee publ...

From the outside, Congress appears broken. Bills get bogged down in partisan fights, leaders openly smear each other, and animosity between members is at an all-time high. But our guests show that if you look closer, you'll find a group of dedicated politicians working together across the aisle to craft workable legislation and get things done.  Republican Congressman Don Bacon represents Nebraska...

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy join the Spring 2022 CPF Fellows to unpack the latest SCOTUS headlines and trends. They discuss everything from the Supreme Court's denial of President Trump's executive privilege over the January 6 insurrection to their upholding Texas' abortion law to their blocking Biden's federal vaccine mandate. They also explore what the growing division among th...

This year the federal government is expected to collect more than $3.5 trillion in taxes— a vast amount of money by any measure. One of the key functions of Congress is to pass a budget. But often that seems close to impossible. Lack of agreement over federal spending regularly threatens to bring about government shutdowns that have a negative impact on millions of Americans. Yet few of us can eve...

One year after the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol, we take a close look at America's political divide with two journalists who covered the calamitous events on that day and the responses to them.  Our guests are Christa Case Bryant, Congressional correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, and Story Hinckley, the Monitor's National political correspondent. We discuss whether America...

In a world of crises and catastrophes, we look at a handful of extraordinary problem solvers: People who use their passion and personal experience of life to make a difference. Dave Scott, Engagement Editor at The Christian Monitor, tells us about remarkable individuals who use generosity, hope, and innovation to inspire others to uplift their fellow human beings.  With origin stories and personal...

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy join former Chief of Staff Mike Pettit, to honor the legacy of Senator Bob Dole, who died on Dec. 5, 2021. Dole was one of the longest-serving Republican leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives. He was a Vice Presidential and Presidential candidate, and received the Congressional Gold Medal. Featuring: Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Po...

At a time of increasingly urgent calls for climate action, the world also faces ever-rising demand for energy. How can these two trends be reconciled as we experience soaring gas prices and supply chain disruptions?  Our guest is Pulitzer Prize-winning author and energy expert Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of IHS Markit and chairman of CERAWeek, which CNBC has described as "the Super Bowl of world...

Center Director Bob Shrum is joined by Ben Rhodes, former Obama advisor, to discuss his latest book on America's role in rising global authoritarianism, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to today, and the urgency to fight for what he thinks the U.S. should be. Featuring: Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Ben Rhodes - Author; Co...

Elex Michaelson, FOX News LA anchor, is joined by CA Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson and media heavyweights David Chalian, Chris Matthews, and Ron Christie to discuss what's at stake for seats in both the House and Senate, advantages for the Republican Party, and needed optimism for the 2022 Midterms. Featuring: Elex Michaelson - Host, "The Issue Is;" Co-Anchor, FOX 11 News LA...

CPF Co-Director Mike Murphy is joined by USC professors Nina Rathbun and David Kang, journalist Markos Kounalakis, and foreign policy expert Kori Schake to assess the historic Afghanistan withdrawal, tensions with China, and compare Biden's success with Trump's. Featuring: Mike Murphy - Co-Director, Center for the Political Future; NBC Analyst David C. Kang - Maria Crutcher Professor in Internatio...

What happens when people of opposing viewpoints and diverse backgrounds work in teams, have conversations, or even sit across the table from each other at family gatherings? How do they come together and listen to others who see the world very differently? In this special episode, we compile a series of inspiring stories from past shows. Mother and daughter Robbie Lawler and Becca Kearl share deep...

Christina Bellantoni, is joined by USC Professor Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, strategists Ben Tulchin and Juan Rodriguez, and commentator Charlie Sykes to weigh the Biden Administration's achievements and fumbles, the fallout from November elections, and the need for bipartisan action for real change. Featuring: Christina Bellantoni - Director of USC Annenberg's Media Center; Professor of Profession...

CPF Director Bob Shrum is joined by Lawrence H. Summers, President Obama's National Economic Council Director, to reflect on the parallels between the current COVID-19 economic fallout and the 2009 recession, and explore solutions for rising inflation. Featuring: Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Lawrence H. Summers - Director...

Sometimes the future can seem dark. The pandemic drags on. Climate change is upon us. Political polarization remains toxic. When stories of division fill the headlines it's easy to feel like the only way is down. But what if that's not true? What if we gave less airtime to voices of doom and more to voices of hope? Our guests on this episode are Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas. Zachary is th...

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy are joined by USC Professors Monalisa Chatterjee, Shannon Gibson, and Robert O' Brien to discuss the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland and the proposed solutions for a path forward. Bob Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Mike Murphy - Co-Director, Center for the Political Future...

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy are joined by USC Professor Morteza Dehghani, former Facebook executive Katie Harbath, strategist Cheryl Hori, and attorney John Patzakis to discuss the rapid changes in technology and their effects on politics including fundraising, campaigning, voting, free speech, and polarization. Featuring: Robert Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future;...

Climate change is one of the most divisive issues in our country today. But this wasn't the case 20 years ago. How did we get here?  Katharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist and chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy as well as a professor at Texas Tech University. And she's the author of a new book called  Saving Us - a Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World .  In thi...

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy are joined by Linda Chavez, Pete Peterson, Theodore Johnson, and Ralph Neas to dive into the pros and cons of voting processes nationwide and explore common sense solutions. Featuring: Robert Shrum - Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Mike Murphy - Co-Director, Center for the Political Future;...