Recently, during a public event at Utah's State Capitol, Governor Spencer Cox issued a stark warning: "Either we, the people, collectively decide we're going to stop hating our fellow Americans, or we'll start shooting each other."   In our podcast, we hear why Governor Cox passionately believes that the country is heading in a dangerous direction with hyperpartisanship and political dysfunction and what he's doing about it with his Disagree Better Initiative. Spencer Cox, a Republican, is the 2023 Chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association. He selected "Disagree Better" to be the Association's current campaign. Through public debates, service projects, meetings, and public service announcements, Disagree Better brings together red and blue governors, looking at the problems of polarization and how to elevate solutions that Common Ground Committee and other groups in the bridging community are implementing. 

The state of public discourse is often dire and includes insults and threats. We assume the worst of the other side and are not afraid to call them out publicly, especially online. Our guest on today’s show says this behavior isn’t just rude. It’s uncivil. And that civility - not politeness - makes a real difference in how we think about ourselves and treat each other. Our guest, Alexandra Hudson, is the author of the new book The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves. She grew up in a family where manners mattered. When she went to work for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in the Trump administration, she thought good manners would help her navigate a hostile work environment.   But she failed to thrive, despite putting politeness and friendliness into overdrive. She left politics deflated. Still, her experience got her thinking about true civility and how it can help us find common ground.  As the holiday season begins, we explore the difference between civility and politeness, how loneliness and isolation contribute to an uncivil society, and the important part hospitality plays in being genuinely civil.

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins New York Times reporter Adam Nagourney for a conversation on his new book, “The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism,”  and the role journalism plays in politics. In partnership with USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy. Featuring:  Adam Nagourney: National Political Reporter, The New York Times; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

When conservative Republican Mark Klicker and liberal Democrat Alex Ramel met in person for the first time, their opinions about each other rapidly changed. A frosty online exchange of policy differences over Zoom quickly turned into a constructive example of close bipartisan cooperation.  After Washington State eased COVID restrictions and resumed in-person legislative sessions last year, Representatives Ramel and Klicker worked together on a renewable energy tax bill. The state legislation has just become law. Much of tax revenues from wind and solar will now go to the communities where renewable energy is produced. The bill was designed to answer some potential local objections to renewable energy projects and to make progress on combating climate change.  In this episode, both legislators tell us that online legislative sessions were a barrier to bridging differences and finding common ground.  What had been missing during months of online meetings were moments of eye contact and the opportunity to establish informal, in-person contact. We hear more about their legislation, finding common ground on the environment, and their friendship across partisan divides.

CPF Executive Director Kamy Akhavan joins Democratic campaign strategist Addisu Demissie and former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus for a conversation on the 2024 presidential race. With Election Day on November 7, the discussion explores the election’s potential impact on control of Congress, state legislatures, governorships, and the 2024 presidential race. Featuring:  Addisu Demissie: Principal and Founder of 50+1 Strategies; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Reince Priebus: Former White House Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Republican National Committee; Fall 2023 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future Kamy Akhavan: Executive Director, Center for the Political Future

Violent threats against members of Congress are up, and hate crimes have increased to the highest levels ever recorded. Fear is being used as a tool by both Republicans and Democrats to win votes.  In this episode, we speak with Rachel Kleinfeld, a fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  Rachel says people talking across differences isn’t enough to end polarization, even if it can create goodwill and lower the temperature in the short term: there needs to be institutional change and politicians who come together to defend democratic norms. A recent podcast guest in the UK told us it sometimes seems like the US is on the verge of civil war. Rachel says this is unlikely. As someone who grew up in Alaska among neighbors firing the occasional warning shot from their yards, Rachel knows firsthand that ‘threats and justification for violence are not the same as attacks.’

CPF's inaugural discussion of our Combating Antisemitism and Hatred Series features CPF Director Bob Shrum, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bret Stephens, and former Los Angeles elected official Zev Yaroslavksy. The series explores the struggle against antisemitism in the context of countering hate, reducing violence, promoting empathy, and nurturing civil dialogue.   Featuring:  William Deverell: Divisional Dean for the Social Sciences, USC Dornsife Bret Stephens: Opinion Columnist for The New York Times; Editor-in-Chief of Sapir  Zev Yaroslavsky: Former Los Angeles County Supervisor, District 3 Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Rory Stewart, former elected politician and senior British government minister, discusses threats to democracy, the division in US and UK politics, and the importance of finding common ground in governing complex societies. He explores the rise of isolationism in the US under Joe Biden and reflects on the impact of social media on society. Stewart emphasizes the need for openness, humility, and dialogue in politics, along with the benefits of direct cash assistance in poverty alleviation.

For the 2023 USC Trojan Family Weekend, CPF Co-Directors and veteran political strategists Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy participate in an insightful and entertaining discussion on the latest political news.   Featuring:  Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife Mike Murphy: Co-Director, Center for the Political Future; NBC Political Analyst

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins a panel of public health experts for a discussion on post-pandemic health inequities in America.   Featuring:  Sofia Gruskin: Director, USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health  Sujeet Rao: Former Senior Policy Advisor, White House COVID-19 Response Team; Director, USC Dornsife Public Exchange Health and Wellbeing Practice  Dr. Bradley Stoner: Head of the Department of Public Health Sciences, Queens University; Former President of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife