With just days to go before a bitterly contested election, we speak with two Members of Congress, one Republican and one Democrat, who are reaching across rigid partisan divides, recognizing the value of compromise and seeking constructive change. Democrat Abigail Spanberger is the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 7th Congressional District, and is serving her first term. In 2018, she defeated a Republican incumbent to win the district, which includes most of the northern suburbs of Richmond.  Brian Fitzpatrick is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional district. His district includes all of Bucks County, a mostly suburban area north of Philadelphia. Reps. Spanberger and Fitzpatrick both score highly on the new Common Ground Scorecard rankings.

Center Director Bob Shrum is joined by political strategist Doug Thornell and journalists Ronald Brownstein and Asma Khalid to discuss President Trump and Joe Biden's dueling Town Halls, following Trump's refusal to participate in a virtual presidential debate originally scheduled for the same day. Brownstein is a Senior Political Analyst at CNN and serves as Atlantic Media's Editorial Director for Strategic Partnerships in charge of long-term editorial strategy. Khalid is a political correspondent for NPR who co-hosts The NPR Politics Podcast. Thornell is Partner and Head of SKDKPolitical, having served as a media strategist to the Democratic National Committee, Congressional Black Caucus, and various House, Senate, and gubernatorial campaigns.

Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy plus special guest Karen Finney discuss the highlights and lowlights of the Vice Presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris and what each candidate needs to do to win the general election. Finney worked for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign as Senior Spokesperson and Senior Advisor for Communications and Political Outreach. She was also Communications Director for Senator Tim Kaine. Finney was the first Black spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee and is currently a CNN political commentator

President Trump's "America First" policy has led to a U.S. withdrawal from many global institutions. For decades after World War II, American leadership in the world was taken for granted. Today, the future of American hegemony is deeply uncertain.  In this election briefing, we explore the future of foreign policy with two highly experienced journalists, Peter Ford and Howard LaFranchi. Based in Paris, Peter is global affairs correspondent for The Christian Monitor. Prior to his current job, he spent a decade as Beijing Bureau Chief. Howard has been The Monitor's diplomacy correspondent in Washington D.C. since 2001.  We discuss the U.S. pullback from the World Health Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, America's exit from the Paris climate accord, deteriorating relations with China, and the differences between Joe Biden and Donald Trump on America's role in the world.

As the headlines and memes roll in, CPF Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy discuss the highlights and lowlights of the chaotic first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden. They also talk about each candidate’s likely strategies for the next two debates in October and the latest polling and trends in the general election.

With Election Day a little more than one month away, Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy discuss the implications of the Supreme Court vacancy following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the latest polling within the battleground states, what to expect in the first Trump/Biden debate, and the President’s comments on the peaceful transfer of power should Joe Biden win the election.

More than 8 out of 10 Americans think the country is divided, and a large majority says public debate has gotten worse in recent years. A recent survey found most voters agree that significant changes are needed in the fundamental design and structure of American government to make it work for current times.  In this episode, we explore the urgent need for common ground with Amy Dacey, Executive Director of the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics at American University, and Pearce Godwin, CEO of Listen First Project, and a leading member of Weaving Community.  During the 2016 presidential election, Amy served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Democratic National Committee. She has managed national organizations and advised leading elected officials and candidates, including President Barack Obama and Senator John Kerry. Pearce is from a conservative political background, and formerly worked as an aide in the House and Senate and for Republican Party campaigns. We speak with both of them about the new Common Ground Scorecard, which rates candidates and elected officials on their ability to reach out beyond their base and engage with voters and other elected officials who come from another party or viewpoint.

Robert Costa, moderator of PBS's "Washington Week" and political analyst at NBC News and MSNBC, joins USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future co-directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy to share his insights on the 2020 presidential election, including where this race stands.

With only weeks to go before the 2020 election, many challenges remain to holding a free and fair vote in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.  From likely surge in mail-in ballots, to changes in polling places for millions of voters and the urgent need for accuracy, we discuss whether the election will be a smooth exercise of democracy or result in a constitutional crisis.  David Hawkings, Editor-in-Chief and Tristiana Hinton, Audience Development Editor, of The Fulcrum explain America's many different statewide systems of voting, and why it could take days or weeks for winners to be declared. We look at the disputes between Republicans and Democrats, including the possibility of a disputed result, and explore why many local election officials from both parties share common ground on the need for fair and accurate results.    The Fulcrum is a non-profit, non-partisan digital news organization focused exclusively on efforts to reverse the dysfunctions plaguing American democracy. The Fulcrum and Common Ground Committee are members of Bridge Alliance, which acts as a connectivity hub for over 90 civic action organizations.

The Republican National Convention culminated with President Trump delivering his acceptance speech in front of an unprecedented back drop. Center Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy share their takes on the convention's highs and lows, what to expect in the upcoming presidential debates, and answer live questions.